


Unspoken

by evilwriter37



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Branding, I promise, M/M, Minor Character Death, Oral Sex, Torture, consensual dagcup, cuddling for warmth, fluff after the whump, for me just to be clear, non-con vigcup, spikes are fun, they need to earn the fluff first, this has consent and love later on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-17 14:42:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13661130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilwriter37/pseuds/evilwriter37
Summary: Alternate ending to Enemy of My Enemy.There are easier ways to show you love someone than being branded and tortured for them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Unspoken. Невысказанное](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14559198) by [TerenceStilinski](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerenceStilinski/pseuds/TerenceStilinski)



> Here's the story that's been violently ripping itself out of my soul for the past week or so. Not abandoning any of my other works. Just had to get this one out there. I'll be posting the first two chapters tonight, the next two tomorrow, and the last one on Wednesday. And just to give an update for those reading my other stories, chapter 5 of _Brother_ has been started and so had chapter 83 of _Infernal Fascination._

Intense heat, barely an inch from his face. Hiccup tried to tug himself away but the hold on his wrists was crushing. He attempted to hide the terror he was feeling as he stared down at the branding iron, terror he’d never felt before. The Dragon Hunters weren’t just threatening him with pain to get him to tell them where Toothless was. Pressing that scorching metal to his face would burn away who he was, what he was, turn his status of heir to ash and obliterate his freedom as his own person. He somehow had enough room left in his head to question why it wasn’t Viggo’s crest, but they’d said he’d belong to the Dragon Hunters, and Viggo was the chief of the Dragon Hunters, so he’d belong to Viggo. If he didn’t tell them where Toothless was, he’d become property of Viggo Grimborn.

But Toothless was worth that. He didn’t know if he was dead or alive, but he couldn’t let these Hunters find him, couldn’t betray his best friend like that.

“Okay! Enough, enough!” Dagur shouted from behind him. “I’ll take you to the Night Fury.”

“No, Dagur!” Hiccup hadn’t expected that, hadn’t expected Dagur to speak to keep this from happening to him. Was he doing it out of care? Dagur had been showing a different, kinder side to himself all day, but Hiccup still couldn’t trust it completely, was still utterly baffled by it, and this just added to his shock and confusion. 

“But, Hiccup-”

“Shut up, Dagur! I’ll take it! I’ll take the brand!” There was defiance in those words, anger. He didn’t want Dagur to give up Toothless, and especially not for him. “I’m not telling any of you where my dragon is!”

“Do it.” It was another one of the Hunters that spoke, voice low and cruel. Then he was beside him, grabbing his hair to hold his head in place.

“Wait!” Dagur, desperate… scared?

There was no more space between him and the iron, the hot, orange metal being shoved right up against Hiccup’s left cheek. He had hoped he’d be able to hold in a scream, but he couldn’t. It was searing, burning agony, but he wasn’t just screaming at that. He was screaming at what the brand meant, at what it was burning away from him as it was made permanent in his flesh. He wanted it to stop, and eventually it did, the branding iron pulled away, the pain fading a little, but now it was done, and there would be no coming back from it.

Hiccup let them throw him uncaringly onto the ground, and once there he didn’t bother trying to get up, just lay there gasping for breath, stunned. It was done. He was branded. He’d started that day off as his own person, as heir to Berk, but now he wasn’t any of that. He was nothing, just as good as the dirt underneath him. He hoped and prayed that Toothless was alive, or else he’d done this for nothing. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes, tried to come free with sobs, but he held it all back. He couldn’t cry now, not in front of these people, not in front of Dagur.

He was shaken from his thoughts by someone kneeling beside him, touching his arm. Dagur - it was Dagur, and when Hiccup opened his eyes to look at him he saw genuine hurt and concern on his face. Then Dagur stood, rounded on the Hunters.

“You didn’t have to do that! I told you I’d take you to the dragon!”

“And will you now?”

“Dagur, please don’t.” His voice came out weaker than he’d intended it to, and it hurt to speak, movement pulling at the brand. His sobs nearly escaped when he opened his mouth. This would have been pointless if Dagur gave up Toothless, and he didn’t want this forceful removal of his personage to be in vain. But then his eyes flicked to the fire. There was another branding iron there, for Dagur. He had more to lose than him. He was a chief while Hiccup was - well, had been - just an heir. Dagur wouldn’t give that up for him, and Hiccup suddenly felt selfish for asking him to, even if it was to protect Toothless.

“No.” The word shocked Hiccup, and he sat up, looked to Dagur, but couldn’t see his face, his back turned to him. Dagur knew what was at stake and he was denying them. This wasn’t his dragon. Did he really care that much? Did he even have it in him to care that much? “I said I’d do it, but you branded him anyway, so now I’m not going to.”

“Dagur, no, wait, you don’t have to.” Hiccup knew this conflicted with what he’d said a few seconds ago, but he’d spoken without thinking of what would happen to him. He disliked Dagur - Hel, he probably even hated him - but he didn’t want him to give himself up for Toothless, for _him_. Wanting such a thing from him was selfish, unfair. “H-he’s not your dragon.”

Dagur looked over his shoulder at him, and there was such a strong look of resignation on his face that Hiccup knew there would be no swaying him. There was something else there too, something Hiccup hadn’t expected to see from him, something he didn’t want to admit to seeing. “I’m not doing it for him.”

“Dagur, don’t be ridiculous,” one of the Hunters scoffed. “You can still be a chief once this is all over.”

Dagur brought his attention back to the Hunters. “I’m not telling you where the Night Fury is and I’m not taking you to him. If you wanted me to, you shouldn’t have branded Hiccup.” His words held a coolness that Hiccup wasn’t accustomed to hearing from him, but there was an underlying anger there as well, a fury that made Hiccup surprised he wasn’t yelling.

“Fine. You want to be Viggo’s little bitch along with him?” The Hunter gestured to Hiccup. “Then you will be.” He bent, grabbed the second branding iron, and another man took Dagur by the arm and yanked him forward. Why wasn’t he fighting? Why was he just letting them do this to him? Hiccup couldn’t understand it, couldn’t understand the resignation Dagur had to it. He was about to lose his title as _chief_ , and he was doing it unflinchingly. Hiccup wanted to protest, but he didn’t know what to say.

"Get his neck. Can't put it on his face with that pathetic excuse for a beard in the way."

Hiccup felt like he should have done something, but all he could do was watch when the Hunter holding Dagur grabbed his hair and yanked his head to the side to expose his neck. Then the branding iron was there, about to be pressed to his skin, and Hiccup still didn't do anything. What _could_ he do? How could he possibly stop this?

It was the first time he'd heard Dagur scream in pain. He'd heard him scream before, out of anger, frustration, but never pain. He'd never witnessed him being hurt like this before, and there was something about the sound that made him seem so utterly human, just as his humanity was being taken away from him.

Then it was done and the branding iron was pulled away, leaving Dagur gasping for breath. He was no longer a chief. He was no longer anything. Just like Hiccup, he'd been made into nothing.

 _But for me. He did it for me._ The thought was so baffling that Hiccup found himself denying it. This was Dagur. He couldn't possibly care enough to do something that big, that utterly _life shattering_ for him. There had to be some other reason, some hidden motive... but what could it be? How could there possibly be some hidden motive in subjecting oneself to the loss of their status as a person? He and Dagur were the same now. Nothing. As good as dirt. Property of Viggo Grimborn.

A Hunter pulled him from his thoughts, coming over and grabbing him by the arm before hauling him up to his foot and his prosthetic. Then he and Dagur were side by side, being pushed along through the forest to the beach.

Hiccup glanced at Dagur, at the fresh brand on the right side of his neck. It was angry and red, raised up from the rest of his skin. It looked painful and it _was_ painful, throbbing on the left side of his face. Was that what it looked like on his face too? Did he look so defaced as that?

He wanted to talk to Dagur, wanted to ask him why he'd done it, why he was doing any of this for him, but he didn't say a word. He'd wait until they were alone in a cell together. Or maybe in separate cells. Oddly, he found that he didn't want to be separated from him. They were heading towards the same fate together. Why should they be separated?

Hiccup hated how compliant he was being. He should have been fighting them, should have been struggling to get out of his restraints, but he couldn't find it in himself to do it. Maybe it was because they were outnumbered and struggling wouldn't matter. Maybe it was because of the brand and the fact that now _he_ didn't matter. Either way, he let them take him onto the ship and down below, let them shove him into one of the large cells that was meant for dragons and not humans. He found himself glad that it was him in this cell and not Toothless.

Dagur was shoved in beside him and the heavy iron door was slammed shut and locked. The Hunters left them alone after that though, probably going to guard the main door to the hold.

Now that he was alone with Dagur, Hiccup didn't know what to say. He just looked at him. It seemed that the shock of everything had made him go dumb.

"Hiccup, could you quit looking at me like that and just say something?" Dagur's voice was tired, miserable. He went and sat against the wall at the other end of the cell, pulling his knees up.

"Why?" Speaking pulled at his brand, made the pain flare more fiercely. "Why'd you do it? You... you were my enemy up until today. You hate me."

Dagur was wearing an amused smile of all things. He looked down, shook his head. "No, Hiccup. No, I don't hate you."

"But why?"

Dagur looked back to him, the smile gone, expression serious. "I think you know why."

Hiccup looked down at his bound hands. Dagur... cared for him. He...

_No, that's stupid. That's so stupid. He doesn't. He doesn't know how to._

But the brand. He'd given up his entire self for him, for his dragon. It was so obvious but he wanted to deny it. This was bigger than all the other things Dagur felt for him, worse than his obsession, his anger, his lust. 

"No, you don't..." Hiccup didn't know what to say, shook his head. He backed up against the bars of the cell. He laughed a little, the sound high-pitched and nervous. "You don't know how."

"Then why'd I take the brand for you?" Dagur reasoned. "I could have just given up Toothless. He doesn't mean anything to me. But he means something to you, and that's what matters."

Hiccup shook his head again. "No. No, you don't." He very suddenly wished that he was in a separate cell. If he was he wouldn't have to look at Dagur, wouldn't have to see the strange clarity in his eyes that confirmed everything he was trying to deny. He'd never seen him look so sane before.

"Hiccup, I do." He stood, took a few steps towards him. Hiccup's heart pounded. It was still his natural reaction to be afraid of him when he was close, be afraid of what he would do to him.

"You don't know _how_ ," Hiccup stressed. "Something like that's beyond you."

He came closer. "I don't think it is. I felt it for Heather. I can feel it for you too."

Hiccup frowned, shook his head again. Dagur took another step closer. He could reach out and touch him if he wanted. Hiccup felt utterly trapped being in here with him. The only good thing was that Dagur's hands were bound as well. 

"Hiccup, stop trying to deny what I feel." Dagur was looking hurt. 

Hiccup straightened, realizing that he'd been cowering in front of him, making himself smaller. Now he stood tall, taller than him. "Fine. If you feel it then say it."

"I..." Dagur looked away from him, pursed his lips.

"Go on. Say it."

Silence.

"See? You can't. Well, I can tell you what I feel for you." Hiccup took a step forward, sneering. "I hate you, Dagur. You hear me? I hate you." His voice was colder than he'd ever heard from himself, and it surprised him a little. He didn't know if what he'd said was true though. Did he hate Dagur? How could he when he'd helped protect Toothless?

_But he also might have killed Toothless._

Then there were all the other things Dagur had done. Hiccup could hate him for all that without even bringing his sick desire for him into it. War, murder, genocide. He wasn't sharing his cell with an innocent man. He was sharing it with a monster. He waited for Dagur to tell him that he shouldn't hate him, for him to tell him that it was ridiculous and unfounded, but no such thing came out of his mouth. He looked back to him, and there was hurt in his eyes.

"Fine. You can hate me. You can hate me all you damn well please, but that doesn't mean I didn't take this brand for you, Hiccup." His next step forward was aggressive, and Hiccup found himself with his back against the bars again, Dagur's nose nearly touching his. "I made myself nothing for you." His voice shook with repressed rage. Hiccup wasn't used to that from him. He was used to shouting and yelling. "You can hate me, but that doesn't change what I did for you. I'm nothing now! I'm not a chief! I'm not-" There were tears in his eyes and he was stumbling away from him as if he'd been punched. His next words were quiet, anguished. "I'm not anything. I'm not anything and still you hate me." He went and sat back down, hard, and Hiccup didn't know what to do. How could he comfort him when he was feeling the same way?

Hiccup found himself going over to him, sitting down beside him. "I guess that's one thing we have in common." He wanted to cry, but he wouldn't allow himself to. He didn't want to show so much emotion in front of Dagur, never mind that Dagur was showing it to him. "I'm not..." He had to take a deep breath, feeling like his chest was caving in. "I'm not anything either."

They were both silent for a while, and despite all that had been said, despite all the emotions between them, it was comfortable. They had solidarity. They weren't against each other, weren't on vastly different levels. They were on the same level, and it was the lowest anyone could be at.

"What do you think he's going to do to us?" Hiccup asked. He didn't have to say who he was talking about. They both knew it was Viggo. He was afraid. He had his own ideas of what was going to happen but he wanted to talk to Dagur about it. Maybe he was thinking too much. Maybe Dagur didn't have the same ideas. He'd been on his side for a while. Maybe he would know.

"Nothing good, that's for sure," Dagur responded without looking at him. "He's cruel."

"Yeah, so are you." Dagur gave him a small glare for that, and Hiccup decided to correct himself. "I mean, you used to be."

"Yeah, but he's worse." Dagur looked out towards the door. "He doesn't... I don't think he feels, Hiccup."

"What do you mean?" Hiccup had gotten a cold vibe from Viggo when he'd first met him, and when he'd met his eyes he'd seen that he was lacking something, but Dagur had been around him longer. It had still been a short time, but he knew Viggo better than he did.

"Well, he does feel. It's... It's weird. He feels for himself, I guess. Not for others. He acts like he cares for Ryker, but it's all a ruse. There's something... not right with him."

Hiccup nearly snorted. Many people, (himself included), had said the same about Dagur time and again. He decided to not voice this irony though. There was no point to, especially if Dagur really was trying to change. And Viggo was different than Dagur. That had been made abundantly clear in their first meeting.

Back to the original question. "So what do you think he's going to do to us?"

"Torture us, I guess." Dagur worked his jaw, something clearly more unpleasant on his mind. Hiccup's stomach churned. He figured the same thoughts were in the back of his mind, but he didn't want to air them out and recognize them for what they were. "And... well, other things. We're his property now. He can do whatever he wishes with us." He sneered. "Make us his bitches like that Hunter said he would."

"No." Hiccup didn't know why he was saying it. It didn't matter what he said. It would probably still happen. He just didn't _want_ it to happen. "H-he wouldn't." He was hoping that maybe Viggo was above that.

Dagur looked to him, and Hiccup didn't know what was in his eyes. It could have been fear, but it was such a strange thing to see on him that it didn't even look like it. "Why wouldn't he?"

"B-because..." Hiccup didn't know what to say. Certainly Viggo had to have boundaries of some sort, lines that he wouldn't cross. A part of him seemed respectable in that way, but that other, unfeeling part of him... Hiccup realized that he'd never before felt so frightened in his life. It felt like he was being pulled into something dark and cold and unending. He began trembling, and he moved away from Dagur a little in hopes that he wouldn't sense it or see it.

“And especially in regards to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, Hiccup. Don’t play dumb. You must know by now how utterly irresistible you are.”

Hiccup didn’t like him saying that, didn’t like it at all. He moved even farther away along the wall. 

“What? Don’t like me saying it?”

“Y-you’re wrong,” Hiccup stammered. “There’s nothing desirable about me.” He figured that there was, given the on and off attraction from some of his friends, and he was okay with that among them, but he didn’t want himself to seem desirable to his enemies. That had started with Dagur three years ago, and he felt like something about that was his own fault. He didn’t want that to be the case with Viggo as well. Then, for some reason, maybe to prove Dagur wrong, he began voicing all his insecurities. “M-my ears are too big, and so are my teeth, I’m too thin, my voice is annoying and nasally, and I’m missing a leg for Thor’s sake! What’s desirable about all that?”

Dagur opened his mouth and Hiccup became afraid of what he would say. 

“Wait, no! Don’t tell me!” He could feel himself shaking harder now. Surely Dagur had noticed.

“So you don’t want to know what’s so attractive about you?”

Hiccup shook his head. He didn’t want to be attractive. Not to Dagur, and especially not to Viggo. He didn’t want to be lusted after by his enemies. And just maybe Viggo wouldn’t feel that towards him. He hoped that the only thing he was sailing towards was torture. He could deal with that. He’d die before he talked. He was sure of that. But Dagur…

“Dagur, if… if you do tell him where Toothless is, it’s okay.” He took a deep breath, trying to quell his trembling. “I won’t blame you. He’s not your dragon. You don’t have to suffer for him.” It was difficult saying all this. He wanted to hate Dagur if he gave away any information, but how could he? There was no question that Viggo would torture them. If Dagur gave up the information to avoid pain, he could understand.

“I’m not going to tell him.”

“You don’t know that.” And what if Dagur could take his own pain, but not Hiccup’s? He’d been about to give up Toothless when they were going to brand him. What if Viggo used that against him?

“I swear, Hiccup, I won’t.” Dagur moved closer, and Hiccup was okay with it now. He nodded in understanding. Dagur wouldn’t talk to stop his own pain, but what if he would talk to stop Hiccup’s? 

“But don’t let my pain break you.” That was almost an admittance of what Dagur felt for him. He wasn’t denying it anymore. “Toothless means the world to me and I’m willing to suffer for that. So even if he tells you you can make it stop for me, don’t say anything. My pain is my own, you understand? I won’t blame you if you tell him to stop your own pain, but if you tell him to stop mine, I swear I will hate you for the rest of my existence.”

Dagur looked like he wanted to say something, but he just clenched his jaw and nodded.

“And don’t think I’m going to talk to stop your pain either. You’re not worth that to me.”

Dagur turned his head away from him, a wave of hurt coming off of him, and Hiccup began to feel bad for what he’d said. Dagur had done plenty of bad things in the past, but he had proven himself to be better multiple times that day. First he’d taken an arrow for him, and then the brand.

“I know I’m not.”

“Dagur, I didn’t- I’m sorry.”

“No, I get it. One day isn’t gonna make up for years of wrong.” He shrugged with his right shoulder, trying to seem uncaring, but there was the threat of tears in his voice.

Hiccup couldn’t see Dagur’s brand from his vantage point, but he looked to his neck as if he would spot it anyway. He knew it was there.

“But maybe it should. I’m sorry, Dagur. I should- I should be grateful to you. You didn’t have to do all that you did today, but you did anyway. You did it for me. You gave up your entire self for me and I’m repaying you by hating you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, Hiccup. None of this is very easy to handle, you know?”

“Yeah.” A moment of silence. “But I’m still not talking to stop your pain.”

“And I…” Dagur took a deep breath. “I won’t talk to stop yours.”

“So we have a deal then?” Hiccup would have held out his hand to shake, but there would be no doing that when his hands were bound together at the wrist.

Dagur nodded. “Deal.” Then his eyes went to the left side of his face. He’d been pointedly staring anywhere else the whole time. “How’s your, uh…” He gave up saying it and gestured with his hands.

Hiccup’s wound seemed to burn even more at having attention brought to it. “It hurts, I guess. You?”

“Yeah, same,” Dagur responded dismally.

“And how about your other wound?”

Dagur worked his left shoulder, winced. “Yeah. Yeah, that definitely hurts too. I think it’s bleeding again.”

Hiccup looked, but he couldn’t tell under the armor. He almost regretted not trying to take Dagur’s armor off of him while he’d been unconscious to stitch the wound, but he hadn’t had anything with him to do it.

_I could have at least wrapped it._

“Sorry I didn’t do more for that.”

“Hel, you could have just left me there to die.” Then Dagur eyed him up and down. “How’d you even get me back to the cave? I’m _way_ bigger than you are.”

“Yeah, um, I dragged you.”

“Well, that would explain some soreness.”

There was silence between them again. Hiccup didn’t know what else to say to him.

“Maybe we should get some rest.” Last they’d been outside it had been nearing nightfall. The sun was probably down by now. Luckily, they had light by the torches outside of the cell.

Dagur looked out towards the door again. “Yeah, I don’t think they’re gonna be feeding us.”

It wasn’t comfortable laying on his side on the hardwood floor of the cell, and Hiccup doubted it was any better for Dagur, especially with his armor on and his added wound. He closed his eyes though, and tried to fall asleep. He was tired. A lot had happened that day.

With his eyes closed, he wondered how Toothless was doing. He desperately hoped that he was alive, that by some miracle the supposed antidote hadn’t killed him. He wanted to hate Dagur for that, but how could he have known? He was the only Night Fury around. The Hunters wouldn’t have had any experience with one before, so they wouldn’t have known whether the antidote would be helpful or harmful.

As time passed, he grew cold. There was no warmth to be had in the cell. He curled up tighter and tried to ignore it, but his teeth began chattering.

“You cold?”

“Y-yeah. You?”

“Yeah.”

For a while neither of them said anything, and Hiccup heard Dagur’s teeth begin to chatter as well. Then he realized how stupid this was. They were in this struggle together. They might as well work together to try to alleviate it. He sat up, scooted his way over to Dagur.

“H-hey, l-let me see y-your hands.” 

“Why?”

“I-I’m untying you.”

At that, Dagur sat up, but the movement was slow, and he grimaced. His shoulder was definitely bothering him. He held out his hands to Hiccup, and he began working to untie him. It was difficult with his own hands tied, but not so bad given that they were in front of him. Had they been tied behind him this would have been much harder.

Finally, the rope slid free from Dagur’s wrists, and without having to be asked, Dagur began untying his. Hiccup rubbed at his wrists a little once the rope was gone.

“T-take o-o-off your ar-armor,” Hiccup told him.

Dagur snickered despite how he was shivering. “Tr-trying t-to undress m-me?”

Hiccup frowned deeply at his joke. He didn’t want that kind of relation with Dagur ever. He just wanted his armor off so that they could get body heat from each other. He really didn’t want to be close enough to him to be warmed by him, but he was freezing, and if he wanted any rest before seeing Viggo, he was going to have to do it.

“Fine, o-okay. I-I get what you’re d-doing.”

Dagur began unbuckling his armor, but he paused in pulling it over his head. “Hey, Hiccup? I-I kind of- kind of need help with this.” His voice was tight, pained. Though Hiccup didn’t want to, he helped Dagur pull his armor off over his head. Luckily, he was able to get the other pieces off just fine on his own, and he was left in a long, sleeveless green tunic and black pants. There was blood soaking the fabric around his left shoulder.

Hiccup sighed. He didn’t want to have to do this, but: “D-Dagur could you- could you t-take your tunic off?”

Dagur looked at his shoulder, frowned. “Uh, I’m p-probably gonna n-need help with that.”

Helping Dagur take off his tunic was by far one of the last things Hiccup wanted to do, but he found himself doing it anyway. The faster he did this, the faster the both of them could get warm. He realized he should probably take his own armor off for that too. It was leather, so not as uncomfortable as metal, but it would be better with less layers. Hel, he knew being naked would be the best way to warm up, but he wasn’t about to do that.

Hiccup didn’t really look at Dagur once his tunic came off. He was uncomfortable with having him in a state of undress in front of him. He just quickly stripped himself of his own armor, then began tugging at the bottom of his tunic, trying to tear it so that he’d have a makeshift bandage for Dagur.

“I-I got it.” Dagur rather easily tore a piece off of his own tunic, then handed it to Hiccup and turned his back to him. He couldn’t see the wound very well given the dim light of the torches and all the blood around it. Blood had made it all the way down to his lower back, and was still trickling from it a little. 

Hiccup tightly tied the piece of fabric under his arm and around his shoulder. Dagur winced when he did so but he didn’t apologize. It had to be tight if he wanted the bleeding to stop.

Dagur turned back towards him, reached out for him.

“A-aren’t you g-gonna put your t-tunic back on?” Hiccup tried not to shy away. 

“W-with blood all o-over it? D-don’t be ridic-ridiculous. B-besides, th-this would be b-better without it.” Dagur eyed him. “A-and without y-yours too.”

Hiccup shook his head. “N-not happening.”

“Fine.”

Dagur reached for him again. Hiccup didn’t know why it was assumed that Dagur would be holding him, but he supposed he’d take it. He figured it was better than him holding Dagur. He wanted to do that less than he wanted to do this. He put his back to him, let him wrap one huge arm around the front of his body. He tensed at the touching, expecting for Dagur to hurt him or do something much worse. 

That didn’t happen though. They settled down on the wood together, Dagur pressing himself up against his back. The heat of his body felt nice, but the position was also unnerving. Hiccup felt trapped like this, and now it was overly obvious how much bigger than him Dagur was, how much stronger. His breath tingled on his neck.

Hiccup closed his eyes anyway, trying to even his breathing. He was panting, feeling on the verge of panic. Dagur was going to bring his hand lower, reach into his pants, slide them off of him, and fuck him. It was what he wanted, and now there was nothing to stop him from doing it. He’d made it quite clear what he’d do to him if he ever got the chance.

“Hiccup, relax.” Dagur had already stopped shivering. “Whatever you think I’m going to do to you, I’m not going to do it.”

Hiccup pulled in a deep breath. Right. Dagur wasn’t going to do that to him. He’d gotten a million chances that day and he’d never taken it. He was different. He wasn’t going to do that to him.

Oddly, relaxing had him cuddling into him. He craved his warmth, wanted to get the most that he could. He took another deep breath, felt himself go loose against him. He drifted off into sleep wondering what his life had come to: with him in Dagur’s arms and a brand stinging in his cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

“Aw, look at the two little lovebirds.” 

Ryker’s joking tone pulled Hiccup from the depths of sleep. For a moment he wondered why he was waking to Ryker’s voice, but then he was opening his eyes and memories flooded back to him. His left cheek burned incessantly. Dagur’s arm was heavy over his body. Ryker stood outside the cell, arms crossed, looking amused. A Hunter was unlocking the door. A few more stood waiting.

“Dagur, wake up,” Hiccup hissed. He elbowed him in the stomach, but tried to keep it gentle.

“Mm, what?” 

Hiccup was going to elbow him again, but the cell door flung open and the screech of metal had Dagur jolting up and releasing him.

“Looks like you lost some of your clothes there, Dagur. You two fuck last night or something?”

Hiccup scrambled up, face flushing. “No! I would never!”

Dagur stood too. He was close to Hiccup, his presence oddly comforting even after what Ryker had just said. “And even if we did it wouldn’t be any of your business.”

Hiccup shot him a glare. “But we didn’t.”

“Yeah. We didn’t.”

Ryker waved a hand dismissively. “Never mind. Come on, you two. I think Viggo would like to see his new property.”

Terror stabbed Hiccup in the stomach and stole his breath from him. All that he’d been dreading yesterday was about to happen. He didn’t want to see Viggo again, especially not like this, not as his _property_. He felt like crying, but instead he stiffened his lower lip and left the cell of his own accord. He didn’t like leaving his armor behind, but he knew most or all of his clothes were probably going to be taken from him anyway. 

He was surprised Dagur followed with as much compliance as him, had expected him to fight more. Hel, he’d expected _himself_ to fight more, but the burning in his cheek and what it meant left him feeling subdued.

Ryker grunted, probably making the same observation. He didn't say anything though, and took the lead in leaving the hold. Dagur stayed by Hiccup's side. His hand brushed his, and then for an instant Dagur's fingers gripped his. It was fleeting though, and when Hiccup looked down at their hands they were separated. He glanced at Dagur, but he wasn't looking at him.

Upon reaching the deck of the ship, Hiccup found that they weren't at Viggo's base like he'd thought they would be. Instead they were being taken towards another ship, a plank between the two to make crossing possible. Viggo didn't appear to be anywhere on the deck of the other ship. He was probably in the captain's quarters, waiting for them with chains and torture instruments. Hiccup's knees shook a little and he nearly fell, but Dagur took his arm and steadied him.

Fear threw a weighted net over Hiccup when he stepped foot onto the other ship. He wanted to just collapse and never move again, make them have to drag him to his fate, but he somehow kept walking. He supposed there was dignity in walking, though really he had no right to dignity unless Viggo allowed him to have it. The brand burning and throbbing on his face made sure of that.

Hiccup was trembling slightly once they reached the ornately decorative door to what could only be Viggo's quarters. He glanced at Dagur again. His jaw was tightly set, his head held high. Though, his hands shook at his sides, barely visible. Hiccup hoped that he'd stick to the deal that they'd come to yesterday, that he wouldn't give up Toothless to stop Hiccup's pain. He could trust in himself not to speak to stop Dagur's, though he knew it would be hard. He couldn't stand seeing other people in pain, and it would be just as hard with Dagur. He'd proven himself as an ally the day before. He'd proven that he cared.

Ryker knocked, and a cool, calm voice told him to enter. Of course it was calm. That was how Viggo was. Hiccup was wondering if yelling was ever a thing he did.

Ryker entered the room, but Hiccup found himself having to be pushed along with Dagur. He couldn't go in there of his own volition. 

Viggo sat across from the door at a desk, wearing a small smile on his face. Hiccup noted with uneasiness that it hardly worked to reach his eyes. His eyes were strange, lacking in something that Hiccup couldn't put his finger on. Though, what was on his desk was even worse: a multitude of knives and sharp objects meant to inflict pain.

"Dagur, Hiccup, welcome! I didn't expect to see you two together, but no matter. Good to have you both here." He stood, came around the desk to them, studying them intently. "And as my property no less. Splendid." He steepled his fingers in front of him. "Now, Ryker here tells me that you're both refusing to give up the whereabouts of Hiccup's Night Fury. Is that correct?"

"Go fuck yourself on a spear, Viggo."

Viggo moved fast, clearing the space between them, his hand connecting with Dagur's face in a sharp slap. Dagur gave a small cry at it, then turned a glare on him. He said nothing else.

Viggo folded his hands behind him, looked to Hiccup. "Do you have anything at least a little more creative to say to me?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Not really. I'm with him."

"Hm." Viggo looked him over and it made his skin crawl. It felt like knives were being dragged over his body. Then he brought the same intent gaze to Dagur, studying both of them before looking to Ryker and the Hunter that had brought them. "Strip them."

Hiccup wasn't going to be compliant in this. He shouted as two Hunters grabbed for him, thrashed in their grip. A third was tearing away at his tunic. Dagur was in a similar situation, though Ryker was the one holding him back.

Hiccup twisted his head and bit at one of them, and that earned him a punch in the face, luckily in the right side. It dazed him, but he kept fighting them anyway, flailing and kicking. Despite his struggles, his tunic came free from him. Then there was tugging lower, on his boot - then once that was off, his pants. He yelled in a mix of anger and terror. He at least wanted to keep those on, wanted to keep some of himself hidden from Viggo. He kicked out hard with his prosthetic, heard a snapping sound and then a yell. A Hunter was reeling away from him, clutching at his ribs.

"Oh, and do remove his prosthetic," Viggo added. "I fancy not being kicked with that."

Hiccup tried kicking out again, but was punched harder than before. He fell, landing hard on the floor, and once he was down the Hunters made quick work of his prosthetic and his pants. He remained where he was, panting, back to Viggo. He didn't want to get up and face him, and he couldn't on his own even if he wanted to. 

"Get him up."

He moaned in despair when hands grabbed him and pulled him up to stand on his one foot, then forced him around to face Viggo. His eyes, those razor sharp knives, were back on him. He shivered. Stealing a quick glance to Dagur, as to avoid seeing anything he didn't want to, he saw that he was naked as well. The makeshift bandage Hiccup had put in place the night before was also gone.

Then before Viggo could give another order, Hiccup's arms were being yanked above him, and there were metal cuffs being closed around his wrists. He wondered what the chains were going to be attached to, but saw that for some reason Viggo had hooks in the ceiling. Maybe this was something he did rather often. And soon, he was chained to one of the hooks, Dagur chained to his right. They worked to keep him upright, though it created an uncomfortable pulling on his arms, so he tried to keep his balance as best he could without them.

Viggo made a sound of satisfaction. "Thank you, everyone. And, Gamli, so sorry about your rib. I'm sure Hiccup didn't really mean to break it, did you Hiccup?"

"Wish I'd broken more," Hiccup mumbled, narrowing his eyes at the Hunter who stood near him, clutching his abdomen. The man just glared back, raised his free hand to hit him.

“Ah! No, no,” Viggo chastised. “That’s my job now, thank you. You may all leave.”

The Hunters filed out of the room, but Ryker remained. Viggo narrowed his eyes at him. 

“Didn’t I say _all?_ ”

“You don’t need help breaking these two?” Ryker asked. Hiccup heard him pound his fist into his other hand, and the sound made him cringe.

“I want their minds broken, not every bone in their bodies,” Viggo responded snidely. “You may go.”

“Alright. Just come get me if you need me.” There was a slapping sound and Dagur gave a surprised shout. At first Hiccup didn’t realize where he’d hit him, but then he saw that Dagur’s face was burning and his features were set in a mixture of rage and embarrassment. “Have fun with my little brother, Dagur. You too, Hiccup.” Hiccup braced himself, expecting to be hit in the same place, but it didn’t happen. The door shut behind Ryker.

“I would apologize for Ryker, Dagur, but you know how he is.”

“Yeah, sadly.”

“Now, how about we start with you?” Viggo said, coming over to stand in front of Dagur. “It’s not your dragon, so I’m hoping you’ll talk easily.”

“Fat chance, Viggo.”

Dagur was slapped again, and Hiccup blinked in surprise. His response hadn’t seemed to warrant that.

“Did I give you permission to use my name?” Viggo questioned sternly.

Dagur just looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Are you _serious?_ ”

“You’re my slave now. Of course I’m serious. Did I give you permission to use my name?”

Dagur looked questioningly to Hiccup, and Hiccup shrugged as best he could with his arms chained above him.

“Uh… no?” Dagur responded, looking back to Viggo.

“Good.” Viggo patted him on the cheek and Dagur cringed at it. Then the man circled around to his back. Hiccup found himself watching what he was doing with rapt attention, having some grotesque curiosity as to what was going to happen to Dagur. A part of himself that he hated was glad that Viggo wasn’t starting with him. 

Viggo poked at Dagur’s left shoulder, and he flinched. “Now, what’s this?”

“One of your Hunters shot at Hiccup to kill.”

“So you took it for him? Interesting. Doesn’t seem like something you would do.” He looked to Hiccup for confirmation.

“It’s not something he would do,” Hiccup said. “He didn’t.” If Viggo knew that Dagur cared about him, he could use that against him. “Just wants you to be mad that your Hunters tried to kill me.”

Viggo looked between the two of them. “So one of you is lying. Interesting. Ah, no matter. That’s not what we’re here to discover, now is it?” He poked at the wound again and Dagur grunted. “Oh yes, I can certainly work with this.” Hiccup scrunched up his face as Viggo dug a finger into the wound and Dagur shouted. There was a rattling noise as he pulled at his chains. Viggo pulled his hand away, looking satisfied. There was blood on his index finger. He walked back around Dagur, retrieved something from his desk. There were clinks of metal.

Hiccup swallowed hard when he saw what Viggo was holding: two long, narrow, metal spikes. He looked away when he went back to Dagur, deciding that he couldn’t watch this.

“Dagur, are you sure you don’t want to tell me where the Night Fury is? The dragon doesn’t matter to you, does it?”

“I’m sure.” He spoke with resolve, and Hiccup felt him glance at him, but he didn’t look his way.

Dagur screamed and Hiccup cringed at the sound. He kept screaming, and this just made Hiccup squeeze his eyes shut. It was an awful sound, one he’d probably soon have to grow familiar with.

Dagur’s screaming stopped and he was left gasping for breath instead.

“Alright, if you’re not going to tell me that just yet, how about you tell me how you two ended up running into each other? That should be an interesting story.”

“We’re not here to make conversation,” Hiccup said.

“Fine.” Dagur shouted and Hiccup flinched. Viggo chuckled. “Do you not like hearing that, Hiccup?”

Hiccup didn’t say anything, just gritted his teeth, and Dagur let loose another sound that was closer to a wail. Morbidly curious, he spared a glance towards him, and his stomach clenched when he saw one of the spikes embedded in Dagur’s wound. He meant to look away, but kept watching for some reason as Viggo brought the second spike closer. Then he was sliding it in next to the first, widening the wound, and Dagur was screaming again. Hiccup violently tore his gaze away, regretting looking. Something inside him hurt from witnessing this, from hearing it. He didn’t know what he felt for Dagur anymore, especially not after yesterday’s events, but he was sure that he didn’t like him being hurt like this. He wasn’t going to give up Toothless for him though. He didn’t matter to him that much.

Eventually, Dagur quieted save for his heavy breathing. Hiccup thought he heard a few sobs break into it. 

“Come now, Dagur. The dragon can’t mean that much to you.”

Another scream, but it was short.

“I-I’m not… telling you.”

“What happened to you since I last saw you?” Viggo asked. “Since you betrayed me? The old Dagur would have given him up in a heartbeat if it meant saving himself. He wouldn’t have let himself be branded for something as trivial as this.”

“ _Agh! Fuck!_ Don’t touch that!”

“I’ll touch whatever I wish. Now, be honest. What happened?”

“Ch-change of heart, I guess?”

“I suppose so.” Viggo laughed in dark amusement. “Can sleeping with one’s own sibling really do that for you?”

Hiccup whipped his head around towards them. “ _What?_ ” Dagur had said things earlier that had made it seem that way, and Astrid had spoken vaguely of it before, but Hiccup had never wanted to believe it. But now with Viggo bringing it up...

Dagur’s face was a shade of pink. There was slight embarrassment mixed into his pained expression. 

“Um… Yeah. Heather and I- we, uh…”

Hiccup didn’t quite know how to feel about that. Sick, maybe. Everything about this situation was making him feel sick. He looked down to the floorboards.

“H-how did you know about that?” Dagur’s question was directed at Viggo.

“Oh, got the vibe off of you two first thing I saw you. It was almost too obvious.”

Conversation was over, and Dagur started screaming again. Hiccup wondered what Viggo was doing with the spikes, but he didn’t dare look this time.

Dagur’s screams lasted a while, and Hiccup found himself internally begging for them to stop, for _Viggo_ to stop. He didn’t say anything out loud though. He’d stick to their deal no matter how much Dagur suffered. 

Finally, it stopped, and Dagur’s voice died down into quiet sobbing. Hiccup had never heard him like this before, and it made his chest ache.

“Feel up for speaking now, Dagur?”

“G-go choke on a dragon’s dick.”

Hiccup didn’t know what Viggo did, but Dagur screamed again. Once he quieted he heard Viggo laughing.

“So vulgar for a chief! Well, former chief.” He laughed again, and Dagur gave a smaller cry. Viggo was probably touching his brand. Then he was touching Hiccup, a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched. “You’ve been rather quiet. Care to say anything?”

“Not really.” 

“Did that brand get rid of all your spunk so quickly?”

Hiccup gritted his teeth. He didn’t want that to be the case, but he was feeling helpless and defeated. He was nothing now. What was the point in having an attitude about it?

“Maybe it just hurts to talk. It is on my face, you know.”

Viggo circled around to his front, and Hiccup opened his eyes to look at him. He met his gaze, though it unnerved him. 

“I do wish they’d have put that somewhere else.” He reached his hand out for his face, and Hiccup pulled away from it, afraid that he’d touch the brand. His hand just followed and he touched the uninjured side. Hiccup found a feral-sounding growl rising in his throat. He didn’t like this. 

“Don’t touch him!”

_No. Come on, Dagur. Don’t do that._

“Why not, Dagur?” Viggo stroked his fingers over his cheek and Hiccup tightened his features in disgust. His heart was racing. “Is it because you want to touch him? Or do you care for him suddenly?”

“You’re hardly finished with me yet,” Dagur answered, and Hiccup looked at him. His face was wet with tears, but he was looking determined. The spikes were still embedded in his shoulder.

Viggo smiled, shook his head, and his hand slid away from Hiccup’s face. He turned to Dagur. “Oh, you do care for him, don’t you?” There was amusement in his voice. “And here I thought you were just interested in him for sexual reasons.”

Hiccup shivered at the mention of Dagur’s interest in him. He knew he wouldn’t act on it like he would have before, but it still made him terribly uncomfortable, especially given how vulnerable he was.

Dagur furrowed his brow. “How-”

“Ryker told me. Said it was difficult to get you to shut up about him.” Viggo glanced back towards Hiccup, the twin knives that were his eyes tracing over his body. It left him shuddering and feeling like they’d drawn blood. “Though, I can see why you want him so badly.” His gaze went back to Dagur. “Would that make you talk, perhaps? Would you talk to save him?”

 

Dagur wanted to. He wanted to so badly. He knew what Viggo was planning on doing to Hiccup. He could see it in his eyes, in the way his mouth was upturned.

“Dagur, no, don’t. We talked about this,” Hiccup pleaded. 

They had talked about it. They’d made a deal. Dagur had said he wouldn’t give away where Toothless was to stop whatever was happening to Hiccup. He wanted to, didn’t want this to happen to him, didn’t want to _witness_ it of all things, but he shook his head.

“Really?” Viggo turned his body back towards Hiccup, but he was still looking at Dagur. Dagur could see Hiccup’s muscles tighten, could see how he was bracing himself for whatever was coming. “Even if I were to, oh, I don’t know, touch him like this?” He placed one hand on his abdomen, ran it over him, and Hiccup gasped. Dagur bristled. There was something rising up that felt like jealousy, but he didn’t want to admit that. He shouldn’t be jealous of the way Viggo was touching Hiccup. Hiccup hadn’t asked for it.

Viggo was just smirking at him, and Dagur felt his resolve crumbling. If he didn’t say anything the touching would only grow worse. Viggo would rape him. He knew he wouldn’t hold back from doing that. He could save Hiccup from that, could save him from it so easily. Rape was an awful thing and he didn’t want him to experience that, didn’t want that to be one more thing they had in common. He opened his mouth to-

“Dagur, don’t you dare! Don’t you _dare_ say anything!” Hiccup shouted. Dagur met his gaze, and his eyes were filled with rage and terror.

“But, Hiccup-”

“Don’t!”

Viggo chuckled. “Then I suppose you won’t talk to save yourself either, will you, Hiccup?”

Hiccup glared at him. “ _No._ ”

“You sure you can’t tell me anything, Dagur?” Viggo had both his hands on Hiccup now, and Hiccup flinched, tugged at his chains. He tried arching away from his hands but they stayed on him. He was visibly trembling.

“I…” Dagur felt like he was choking on something. His shoulder throbbed. “I won’t.”

Viggo ran his hands lower. Hiccup’s panicked breaths were audible. Dagur wanted to pull his gaze away, but he couldn’t possibly hope to do such a thing. He had to watch, had to know what was happening.

Viggo now looked back to Hiccup, his eyes going over his body. Dagur pulled angrily at his chains. He didn’t have any right to be touching him like that, looking at him like that. He ran his hands down to his thighs. He had beautiful thighs. All of Hiccup was beautiful and Viggo was touching him instead of _him. He_ should be the one doing that! He should-

No, that was the old him. He still wanted Hiccup like that, but he wouldn’t unless he said yes, even if that meant he’d never get to have him. It hurt, but he couldn’t let himself do that to Hiccup, not the way Viggo was now.

Dagur finally did look away when Viggo reached between his legs. Hiccup hadn’t given him permission to look at him naked. He shouldn’t be seeing him like this.

Hiccup whimpered, and the sound pounded like a fist at his chest. Dagur closed his eyes. He wished he could block his ears too.

After a time, Hiccup moaned in what sounded like a mix of despair and pleasure. Dagur clenched his jaw hard at it. He’d wanted to hear him moan, but not in any situation like this.

“Dagur, I’m disappointed you’re not watching. He looks rather lovely aroused like this. Would you like to see?”

Dagur hated himself. He _did_ want to see. He’d wanted to see Hiccup naked and aroused for such a long time now, and he was being given the chance to. He opened his eyes, but just stared down at the floor. 

Hiccup sobbed and Viggo shushed him. “Don’t cry, my dear. It’s supposed to feel good.”

“D-don’t want it,” Hiccup stammered. 

“Then tell me where your dragon is. Simple as that.”

“No.”

“And how about you, Dagur? Are you going to tell me? I’ll stop if you do.”

Dagur held his jaw shut till it hurt, shook his head. He didn’t want this to happen to Hiccup, but he also couldn’t betray him like that. It was obvious how much Hiccup loved his dragon if he was willing to go through all this for him. He remembered the conviction there’d been in his voice and his eyes when he’d told him he’d hate him for the rest of his existence if he told Viggo where Toothless was to stop whatever was happening to him.

Viggo didn’t say anything else, and Hiccup moaned again. Dagur wanted to put a wall between them, wanted to just shut himself out from what was happening, but he realized that that wasn’t fair to Hiccup. He could at least try to help him through this, talk to him to try to lessen the inevitable psychological damage it would cause. He looked to him, making sure to keep his eyes on his face. Hiccup’s features were tensed, his eyes squeezed shut.

“Hiccup, look at me,” he said gently. 

Hiccup shook his head. “No, Dagur. Just - _hm!_ \- p-pretend I’m not here. Pretend this isn’t happening.” He sobbed, louder than he had before. “Oh gods, _why_ is this happening?”

Viggo didn’t say anything, just looked between Hiccup and Dagur with an amused smirk on his face. Dagur ignored him.

“Hiccup, please look at me.”

Hiccup did, and his eyes spoke of the terror that he was feeling, the confusion. Tears welled in them, trailed down his cheeks. Dagur felt like he’d taken a hammer to the chest.

“Hiccup, wh-what you’re feeling - it’s not your fault, okay?” Dagur started. “I know what you’re feeling, and I know that your body likes it, but that doesn’t mean anything. That doesn’t mean _you_ like it. That doesn’t mean you want it.”

“Ha! Dagur, are you planning on talking him through this?”

Dagur didn’t respond to Viggo. He hoped he’d let him keep talking, that he wouldn’t gag him or something. Then Viggo pulled away from Hiccup, and he was left gasping for breath like he’d been suffocated. He didn’t break eye contact with him though.

Dagur could see Viggo moving out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t move his gaze from Hiccup’s. He tried not to pay attention to what he was doing. He was probably getting a lubricant of some sort.

“Dagur, please, just _please_ don’t tell him where Toothless is,” Hiccup’s voice was quiet, desperate. “I-I don’t want this, but please don’t tell him.”

“I won’t tell him.”

“Promise me you won’t.”

Dagur worked his jaw. He didn’t know if he could do that, if he could make that kind of promise. What if it all just became too much?

“Dagur, _promise_ me.”

“I…” Dagur looked away from him for a moment, thinking. Then he looked back to him. His next words felt like they weighed down his tongue. “I promise.”

A look of relief crossed Hiccup's tormented features. "Thank you."

Viggo came back over and Hiccup began crying in full force, closing his eyes. Dagur couldn't blame him. There was nothing right about what was about to happen to him. He had the right to be scared out of his mind.

"Hiccup, whatever happens, just listen to me, okay?" Dagur tried to keep his voice even, but he was scared too. That still felt strange to him: being afraid for the well being of others. It was an emotion he didn't like, especially since it could be taken advantage of.

"Wh-why?" He flinched and gave a panicked cry as Viggo ran one hand over his back.

"Because I'm trying to help." He looked to Viggo, again wondering if he'd shut him up.

"Oh, believe me, Dagur, you have full permission to speak," Viggo told him. "This should be entertaining."

Dagur didn't want to have to watch what Viggo was doing, but he knew he would have to if he wanted to coach Hiccup through it. He saw his hand trail down to grip at his ass, his other going between his cheeks to find his hole. Hiccup whimpered and squirmed.

"Hiccup, take a deep breath."

He didn't listen to him, his chest heaving erratically, and he gave a pained cry. Viggo was no doubt penetrating him now.

"Hiccup, please, just breathe. It won't hurt so much if you relax."

"H-how do you know?" 

"It's happened to me before," Dagur admitted. He'd never told anyone that, not even Heather. Maybe Hiccup would listen to him if he knew about it. "That's how I know."

Hiccup looked to him, his expression hurt, shocked. "What?" Then he was closing his eyes again, giving another cry of pain.

"What did you think they did to me in prison? Braided my hair and threw me tea parties?" Dagur retorted quickly. "Trust me. Relax and it won't hurt so much."

At his words, Hiccup drew in a shuddering breath. It was hard to tell if that truly relaxed him or not. Someone could only be so relaxed in his position. Then he yelped in surprise, and Dagur looked to see that Viggo had one finger in him down to the last joint. He'd probably found his prostate. He tried separating his feelings from this, feelings of how he wanted to do this to Hiccup, feelings of anger and hatred at Viggo for doing this to him.

Viggo made a satisfied sound that was akin to a purr. "Did I find something good in there, Hiccup?"

"F-fuck you," Hiccup gasped out, and then he was moaning again, louder. He'd definitely found it.

"Hiccup, that's not your fault either," Dagur quickly told him. "Okay? I know it feels good and I know you don't want it to. Your body's just acting naturally, alright? It sucks for doing that, but you can't control it." He hoped those words would help, that Hiccup would be able to separate himself from his body. Dagur remembered the first time this had happened to him, how he'd been so terribly confused about what he was feeling and to why it felt good when he didn't want it to.

Viggo moved to insert a second finger and Hiccup tensed right up.

"No, no, no, no, don't."

"Why shouldn't I?" Viggo asked him. "Are you going to tell me where your dragon is?"

Hiccup didn't say anything for a while, and Dagur wondered if he really was going to talk, if he just couldn't endure this, but then Hiccup shook his head. For that, Viggo shoved in a second finger and Hiccup shouted.

"Hiccup, you have to relax, remember?" Dagur told him. "You have to let him in or he'll tear you, and that's going to make the rest of this hurt really badly."

"I-Isn't it going to hurt any-anyway?" 

"Not forever, no. Relax. Let him in." Dagur almost hated himself for saying that, for telling Hiccup to just let Viggo do this to him, but what else he could do? And he was telling the truth. If Hiccup didn't relinquish himself to him he would tear him. That was just how things worked. He'd found that out the hard way.

Viggo huffed out a laugh, sliding his second finger all the way in. "Dagur, you are doing a splendid job at this. I'm surprised he's listening to you."

"Shut up, Viggo."

Dagur realized too late that he'd said his name. He braced himself, knowing there would be consequences, and there were. Viggo reached over to him with the hand that wasn't partially buried in Hiccup, grabbed hold of the spikes in his shoulder, and twisted. Fire flared to life in the wound and Dagur didn't bother trying to hold in his scream. Then Viggo twisted the spikes again, and Dagur felt like he was going to pass out from it. His legs shook. No, he couldn't pass out. He had to help Hiccup, keep talking to him.

Luckily, Viggo let go before he could, and he was left groaning as the pain began to dissipate back to its usual, terrible throbbing. 

Hiccup moaned again. Dagur wished he wouldn't do that, that he'd try to keep himself quiet. Gods, it was such a nice sound, one he'd wanted to draw from him himself, one he didn't want to hear at the moment.

Hiccup began squirming again, fighting against his chains. Dagur figured it was because Viggo was spreading his fingers in him and he didn't like the sensation.

"Hiccup, you have to let him do that." Let him. Dagur hated saying that. "If he doesn't stretch you, he's going to injure you later."

"And you really are in need of stretching," Viggo chimed in, and Dagur wanted to hit him. That want grew as Viggo ran his lips over Hiccup's ear. "You're ever so tight. Must feel good to be inside you." His words drew an angered and frightened cry from Hiccup, and he yanked his head away from him. "Has no one truly enjoyed your ass before?"

"N-no one."

"Really? Not even any of your Riders?"

"No."

"Ah, I suppose that makes sense. You'd mean to dominate them, yes? Assert your leadership."

"Th-that hasn't happened either."

Viggo snickered, ran his other hand over the front of his trembling body. Dagur couldn't help noticing just how nice the muscles in his abdomen looked, but he hated that they were under Viggo's hand.

"You're a virgin? How is it that someone as delectable as you has never had sex before?"

"I-I don't... I'm not discussing this with you." Hiccup moaned again, twisted his head. "Shut up."

Dagur feared he would get some sort of retaliation for that, but he didn't. Viggo's hand ran up towards his chest, fingers tweaking one of his nipples. Hiccup bucked and whined under his touch.

"Ooh, so sensitive," Viggo commented. Dagur wanted to tell him to shut up as well, but he knew he'd receive punishment for that. His shoulder twinged.

"St-stop touching me."

"Then tell me where you dragon is."

"His name is Toothless."

Viggo snorted. "You really think I care about his name?" He pinched his nipple and Hiccup arched, whether into it or away from it, it was hard to tell. There was something tantalizing about the way he moved though, about the sounds he was making, and Dagur felt arousal trickling between his legs. He held in a growl at himself, angry. He shouldn't be feeling aroused by watching this, but something about it being Hiccup...

_No, that's not right, that's not right._ He couldn't help it though. His body knew he was viewing a sexual act and wanted to take part, not caring that what he was watching wasn't consensual. He must have made some sound about it, because then Viggo was looking over at him, then down.

"Was wondering when that was going to happen," he said. "Took long enough."

"What?" Hiccup wasn't looking at him, so he wouldn't know.

"Our friend Dagur here is apparently getting a kick out of watching us," Viggo told him, mouth near his ear again. He took it briefly in his teeth.

"I'm not," Dagur denied. "Honest, I'm not. I can't..." He scowled at Viggo. "You know I can't help that!"

"Which makes this all the more entertaining." Viggo withdrew his fingers from Hiccup. "Maybe if you tell me where the Night Fury is, I'll let you take him after I'm done."

" _No._ " Dagur said it forcefully, to both Viggo and himself. That was something he wanted to do very badly, but he wouldn't allow himself to. He wanted Hiccup, and before he hadn't given a damn about whether or not he consented, but now he actually cared about how he felt. He wouldn't do that unless Hiccup allowed him to.

But _gods_ , he wanted to, and his cock was aching...

_No._

"Are you sure, Dagur? You wouldn't have to do any work. He'd be nice and open and slick for you. I'd remove those spikes from you, unchain you, and just let you go at him." Hiccup wailed at the words. He was probably thinking Dagur would take the offer, would tell Viggo where Toothless was and then have his turn with him. "Look at him, Dagur. Look how beautiful he is." His hand was running down from his chest, reaching lower, and Dagur hated himself but he followed its path, let himself really look at Hiccup's body, let himself look at his cock as Viggo took it in his hand. It was long and hard and, well, perfect. He had a nice, well-defined slit, and there was a prominent vein running up the side of it that Dagur just wanted to run his tongue over. He bristled with jealousy as Viggo pumped his hand over his length, as Hiccup moaned. If he could make him moan like that... But he could. Viggo would allow him to if he just-

" _No!_ " Dagur roared it, violently tugging himself from those thoughts. He wouldn't do that. He _wouldn't_. That was something the old him would have done, and he didn't want to be that anymore. He wanted to change. He yanked his head away from the view of Hiccup, closed his eyes.

"Tell me if you change your mind."

After a few moments, Hiccup quieted, and then Dagur heard what had to have been Viggo undoing his belt. It landed heavily on the floor, and then there was the rustle of fabric. Dagur felt Hiccup's eyes on him, pleading with him to look at him, to not leave him alone for this. Dagur didn't wholly trust himself to look at Hiccup again, but he did, focusing on his face. Just his face. Not anything else. He wasn't supposed to look at that no matter how much he wanted to. Hiccup's eyes still held the same terror that they had before, but there was something else there that Dagur couldn't put his finger on. He wanted to say something, to tell him that it was going to be okay, but that was ridiculous. It wasn't going to be okay.

Hiccup flinched as Viggo took Hiccup's right hip in his hand, pressed himself up against him. Dagur couldn't keep himself from looking at Viggo's cock, curious as to what Hiccup would have to endure. He hoped that he wasn't very big. It was a stupid hope, he realized when he looked at him. Of course he was that big. Viggo was big everywhere else, so of course he'd be big there too. Dagur wished he were in a situation where he could feel something as simple as envy at it, but instead his stomach churned and his chest ached. He looked back to Hiccup. His face went white at the first touch of Viggo's cock against him, of the tip pressing at his hole.

"Dagur..." It looked like there were a million things he wanted to say, but instead it was just his name.

"Breathe, Hiccup," Dagur told him, trying not to sound frightened. He hated feeling frightened for someone other than himself. "Just breathe."

Then Hiccup was tearing his gaze away from him, tilting his head back, _screeching_ , tearing his voice out of his throat in fury and defiance and pain. He kept on like that, yanking hard on his chains, trying to twist himself from Viggo's grip.

"No, Hiccup! Calm down!" Dagur yelled. "It won't hurt if you calm down! I promise, I promise!"

"I'd listen to Dagur, my dear," Viggo told him. "I'm not in the mood for dealing with all the blood that would come if I did tear you."

Hiccup screamed one more time, but then quieted. He lowered his head in defeat, began struggling to pull in deep breaths. They were coming too quickly.

"I don't want it, I don't _want_ it! Get _out_ of me!"

"Tell me where Toothless is."

"No!"

"Then I'm going to do with you what I wish," Viggo told him. "It's as simple as that."

" _No-o-o!_ "

"Hiccup, sh, calm down," Dagur said. He felt real physical pain at seeing him like this. He wanted so desperately to just give Viggo the information he wanted, but Hiccup would hate him if he did that. 

_"My pain is my own, you understand?"_ He had to give Hiccup that, had to stick to their deal. He'd promised him.

"Hiccup, I-I know you don't want it." Dammit. Dagur felt like he was going to start crying. He shouldn't be crying at something that wasn't his own physical pain, but _gods_ , did this _hurt_ him. "I know you don't, but it's either this or tell him where Toothless is."

Hiccup nodded, then began breathing deeply. It made sense that mentioning Toothless gave him the strength to get through this. He'd do absolutely anything for his dragon. The strength that love gave him was astounding.

Then Viggo groaned, and Dagur looked to find him fully sheathed in Hiccup. He was holding onto him with both hands now, and he had his eyes closed, a small, open-mouthed, blissful smile on his face. Dagur wanted to tear it off of him.

Dagur didn't know what to say to Hiccup as Viggo began thrusting. He tried looking at his face, but he couldn't, couldn't stand the mix of pain and pleasure on it, couldn't stand the brand that ruined it. He looked away, now only left listening to his moans and sobs and the slap of skin on skin.

It went on, and Dagur felt like he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't know how Hiccup was taking it. He'd known Hiccup was strong, but witnessing that strength was entirely different from just knowing about it.

"Not watching anymore?" Viggo asked in clear disappointment. "I figured you'd want to see him cum eventually."

Dagur didn't know what to say to him. What could he say that would stop this, but also keep him from breaking his promise and keep Hiccup from hating him forever? What words were there that would work for him?

"Shut up." It was quiet, barely audible over all the sounds that Hiccup was making that part of him hated and another loved.

"Excuse me?"

"I said shut up!" 

Viggo's hand was on the spikes again, twisting, pulling a scream from him. Dagur was alright with that, was alright with the pain. He was even alright with the way he felt it pulling his consciousness from him. He couldn't handle this anymore. Agony stabbed through his shoulder and choked all his other senses until he was fainting.

 

Dagur had stopped screaming, and Hiccup made himself open his eyes to look at him. Through his tears he could see that he was hanging limply from his chains, unconscious.

_No._ He wanted Dagur here with him, wanted his voice coaxing him through this. He didn't want to be alone, but now he was. All he had was Viggo and what he was doing to him. 

He couldn't even begin to understand what he was feeling. It was awful, just so _awful_. He was _inside_ of him, inside his _body_ , and he didn't _want_ him to be. Gods, he just wanted him to _stop_ , but he didn't. He was just pounding away at him, creating the strangest sensation of pleasure. The pain had mostly faded, but he almost wanted it back. Pain would make more sense than this. An enemy giving him pain made more sense than an enemy giving him pleasure. 

He wanted to quiet himself, to just bite his lip and hold in any sounds, but he couldn't. Why add on to his struggle by struggling with himself?

Viggo's hand went back to his hip, holding him so tight it was almost painful. "A pity about that, really. I did want Dagur to see you orgasm. I figured that he'd definitely want to fuck you after that."

Hiccup wanted to tell him to shut up too. Thinking about that frightened him, frightened him more than what was happening now. Dagur taking him after all he'd done for him, Dagur losing it and reverting to his old self just so he could have his body and satisfy his want for it, using him right after Viggo had done the same... It had a shudder crawling through him and raising the hair on his arms. 

And there was also the matter of what Viggo thought would do it. He didn't want him to make him cum, didn't want him to see him like that, in the peak of his pleasure and ruined by him. He was sure he would though. If he wanted it he'd get it from him. He could get anything he wanted from him save for the location of Toothless.

Then Viggo was touching his cock again, and his body bucked into it without his consent, craving the pleasure that he was giving him.

"Yes, that's it, Hiccup." 

It didn't take very long for Hiccup to reach his climax after that, not with the strange, pounding pleasure inside of him and the touch of Viggo's hand. He decided not to hold it back, knew that it was inevitable, and let it crash over him. 

It hit him harder than any he'd experienced before. Fire pulsed through his nerves and his muscles contracted. White flashed behind his eyelids and his knee shook. If it weren’t for the chains he probably would have fallen as the pleasure consumed him. It was a while before he came back from it, feeling like he’d been utterly _crushed_. Viggo withdrew from him, a substance he didn’t want to think about dripping from his hole. He’d been so lost in his own climax that he luckily hadn’t felt Viggo’s as he’d emptied into him. That same substance was on his stomach.

Once the pleasure receded from his body, shame crawled in to take its place, rooting itself deep. It was done. He’d been raped. He’d been used by another person. Used inside and out. Ruined. He was ruined.

He wanted to be rescued, but what was rescuing going to do when Viggo had his ownership of him marked in his face? He thought in fear of how his dad would react, and shame rooted itself deeper, so deep that it hurt. 

This was his fault. He’d been stupid in leaving Astrid behind. If he hadn’t, none of this would have happened. Dagur wouldn’t be with him, wouldn’t have lost himself with him. Sure, he would still be stranded on that island alone, but at least he would be his own person. At least he wouldn’t be hanging unconscious from chains with spikes sticking out of an arrow wound in his shoulder.

“That was lovely, Hiccup. Thank you.”

Hatred boiled in his blood, seeded in his chest and sprouted. 

“Don’t thank me, Viggo! I didn’t let you do this!”

Viggo came around to face him, and Hiccup was glad to see that his cock was properly back in his pants where it belonged.

“Oh, but you did, Hiccup. You let me do this in not telling me where your Night Fury is.” Then Viggo took a step back, looked at him, then Dagur. “Is one dragon really worth all this?”

“Yes.” Hiccup said it firmly. Even after what he’d gone through, he’d say that Toothless was worth it. He loved him and couldn’t give him up to this man.

Viggo was looking at Dagur now. “Though, I’m sure it isn’t to Dagur. But you apparently matter that much to him. Odd. I’d never thought him capable of that.”

Hiccup hadn’t either. Not until yesterday, not until all that had happened. And Dagur had stayed true to his promise. He hadn’t given up Toothless for him. Hiccup had never felt such gratefulness towards him before.

“Now, I suppose I should keep trying to get that location from you, though it would be much more fun with Dagur awake.” Viggo turned his back to him, went over to his desk.

Hiccup’s terror came racing back. Some part of him had expected that Viggo would leave him alone after this, that he’d let him and Dagur be for a few hours before trying again. 

“Y-you’re not going to get anything from me.”

“Well, I can try.” Viggo turned back to him, a knife in one hand and a chilling smile on his lips. “Where should we start?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next two chapters as promised!  
> Minor character death in this chapter. (I'm sure you can all guess who it is.)

Dagur didn’t sleep soundly. He was plagued with dreams, and there was the same pain in every single one of them: a burning in his neck, a pain in his shoulder so awful and deep that it felt like it was being torn off of him.

Then he woke to the same anguish, feeling stiff and sore and aching everywhere. His wrists felt rubbed raw. He groaned, not opening his eyes just yet, not wanting to face reality. Reality was the hard wooden floor underneath him. Reality was the brand in the side of his neck and the erasure of his place as chief. Reality was Hiccup screaming, sobbing… but it was silent now.

Dagur lifted his head, opened his eyes. “Hiccup?” His voice came hoarse from his raw throat. He was in need of water, and screaming certainly hadn’t helped how it felt. 

Wherever he was, (a cell probably), was only dimly lit, and he had to search around a little to find him. He was huddled up in one corner of the cell, back to him, still naked. Dagur didn’t have any clothing either, but he at least had a blanket over him. It seemed they’d only been given one.

Concern awoke anew upon seeing him. What had Viggo done to him while he’d been unconscious? It was hard to tell from his vantage point if anymore damage had been done.

With difficulty, Dagur sat up. He felt woozy, like his head had been stuffed full of wool. He craned his head to try to see what state his shoulder was in. All he saw was red. That would explain what he was feeling. Viggo had taken the spikes out and then just left him to bleed.

Standing probably wasn’t possible given how weak he felt, so he half-crawled, half-dragged himself towards Hiccup, uncaringly leaving the blanket behind. Was he even conscious?

“Hiccup?”

“Don’t come near me, Dagur.” Hiccup’s voice was quiet, hoarse like his own, but managed to hold a small demand.

“I just wanna see if you’re okay.” Dagur heeded his wish though, stopped his advance. He was only a few feet from him. There looked to be a little bit of blood on the back of the elbow that was visible. “What did Viggo do?”

Hiccup didn’t say anything, didn’t look at him. 

“Hiccup, please.” Dagur didn’t want to be shut out like this. It was just the two of them in this together and they had to take care of each other.

“I don’t want to talk.”

Dagur sighed in frustration. “I can’t know how you’re feeling?”

“How do you think I’m feeling?” His words were bitter.

Dagur didn’t know what to say to that. Of course Hiccup was feeling terrible. There was no such thing as being raped and feeling good about it. Now Dagur was feeling guilty, feeling guilty for passing out and leaving him alone during it, feeling guilty for part of him wanting to take Viggo’s offer, feeling guilty for looking. And he also felt guilty for having wanted to do the same thing to him in the past. He wondered if Hiccup thought he was going to take the chance of them being alone and do it now, if that was why he didn’t want him near him. It made sense why he wouldn’t want him close: there had to be nothing comfortable about being naked in a cell with someone who had formerly wanted to rape him just after being raped by someone else. Though, even if Dagur had wanted to he wouldn’t have been able to. His shoulder was hurting too much and he was weak.

Dagur glanced back at the blanket. It was odd that Hiccup had given it to him. Wouldn’t he have wanted to cover himself after what had happened?

“Why’d you give me the blanket?” Dagur asked.

“Figured you needed it,” Hiccup answered. 

Dagur wasn’t used to this, wasn’t used to people actually doing something to take care of him. He wasn’t entirely sure what Hiccup felt for him, but certainly that was an act of care.

He struggled back over to get it, deciding that Hiccup should have it. Though, upon coming back over, he was stopped again by Hiccup.

“I said not to come near me.”

“I just want to give you the blanket.”

“You can have it. I’m fine.”

“No you’re not. Neither of us are fine.” Dagur pulled himself a little closer, and Hiccup must have heard his movement, because then he was turning around, sticking out his foot and placing it on the top of his shoulder to stay him. He could very well kick him in the face if he wanted, and Dagur would let him.

“Stay away from me.” His voice held command, but there was none of that in his eyes. His eyes spoke of terror and anguish. In this position Dagur could see what had been done to him, and horror briefly stole his breath from him. There were metal rods sticking out of the bottom of his stump, blood dripping out along them. It made him feel sick, and he had to look away.

“He just _left_ that there?” he questioned incredulously.

Hiccup moved his foot off of his shoulder. “Yeah. I-I tried taking them out, but I just… I can’t do it.” Dagur heard the pain in his voice now. He didn’t know how he hadn’t heard it before. It seemed so obvious. He looked at him again. There was more blood on the stump of his leg like it’d been slashed, blood on the side of his neck and his abdomen.

“I can do it.” He didn’t really want to. It would hurt Hiccup, but he doubted anything good could come from keeping those in there. Thoughts of infection were in his mind.

“No, Dagur. I don’t- I don’t want you near me.” He made to move back from him, but he was already up against the wall. He just straightened his posture against it, pressed himself back.

“Hiccup, please. Those can’t stay in there.”

“I know that.”

“So either you take them out or I do. Only two options here, and you said you tried already,” Dagur tried to reason with him.

Hiccup looked away from him, set his jaw. It was a long while before he spoke again.

“Okay. Do it.”

 

Hiccup clenched his hands into fists as Dagur came closer and knelt by his leg, though the movement hurt his fingers. Viggo had shoved needles into the nerves in his elbows, so now he was hurting from his fingers to his shoulders. 

He didn’t want Dagur this close, didn’t want him touching him. Now that he was alone with him he feared what he would do. He could take him if he wanted, just like Viggo had. And part of him did want to. That’s why Viggo had tried to bargain with him over it, why he had told Dagur that he’d let him fuck him if he gave up Toothless. 

_But he didn’t do that,_ Hiccup tried reasoning. _He won’t do that. If he’d really wanted to do it he could have done it last night._

His thoughts didn’t seem to matter though. It was still unnerving to have Dagur this close to him when they were both naked. Part of him still didn’t understand that Dagur had changed and wouldn’t do that to him, and hence was afraid of him. The old Dagur would have taken full advantage of this, but then again, the old Dagur also wouldn’t be in this mess with him to begin with.

Hiccup tensed when Dagur slid one hand under his knee and lifted what was left of his leg before placing it across his own to elevate it a little. He didn’t like the feeling of naked skin against him, especially Dagur’s. He found that he was trembling a little, both from being touched, and in anticipation of the pain he was about to feel. Dagur put a hand on his knee to steady him, and the touch was surprisingly gentle.

“Hiccup, I’m not going to lie to you. This is going to hurt.”

“I know.” He rested his head back against the wall. He was just hoping having the spikes removed would hurt less than having them driven into him. He closed his eyes.

“Take a deep breath.”

Hiccup did so, and then the air came out of him in a bellow. He had to fight with himself to keep his leg still. All he wanted to do was struggle and move away from the pain, hit Dagur for causing it. His nerves didn’t know that he was trying to help him. All they knew was suffering.

Then the first spike was out and clattering on the floor. Hiccup desperately sucked in air, feeling like the pain was strangling him.

The agony came again, and again he let it out through his voice, arching, twisting his head. There was another clatter as Dagur tossed the recently removed spike aside, and once it was out he went slack against the wall, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“H-how many more?” He’d lost count of how many Viggo had shoved in him. He couldn’t tell either. There was no way of distinguishing one spot of hurt from another. The entirety of his stump was on fire.

“Six. You need a break?”

Hiccup shook his head. Dagur was right. These needed to be out of him. “Keep going.”

More pain. Gods, he’d never hurt so much in his life. His voice felt like a razor cutting up the inside of his throat, but he couldn’t hope to remain quiet.

After a time he found himself yelling for Dagur to stop, and he did. He went slack against the wall, sweating, crying. His left hand was reaching out for something, someone, despite it hurting to move his arm, and then he found Dagur’s hand. He squeezed it. He couldn’t believe he was seeking comfort from him, that he was receiving it from having contact with him. Yesterday morning he would have never even considered turning to Dagur for comfort, yet here he was.

“You’re doing good, Hiccup.” His voice was soothing as well. Strange how much things had changed. His voice had used to plant dread in his stomach, and he’d heard his laugh in his nightmares. “Really good. You’ve got two left.”

“J-just give me a min-minute.” Hiccup just wanted to breathe, to recover from the awful pain. He felt like he wouldn’t be able to take it again. He certainly didn’t want to. 

Neither of them said anything for a minute or so, and Hiccup was able to calm a little. His tears were falling silently.

“You good?”

That sparked fear into his stomach. He didn’t want this pain.

“Can’t we just… leave them?”

“No, Hiccup. Come on. You’re almost there. Just two more.”

“But I don’t- It _hurts_. It hurts so _bad_.”

“I know. I know it does. But you can do this, okay?”

For a few moments Hiccup didn’t say anything, but then he nodded, bracing himself. He very reluctantly let go of Dagur’s hand, let him put it back on his knee. 

Agony returned and so did his screams. He felt like he was drowning in it, like he had to hold onto something or else he’d lose himself. He wanted Dagur’s hand back in his.

Then it stopped. Hiccup didn’t let himself relax yet, expecting it to come again. It didn’t, and he reached out for Dagur, but then he was gently setting his leg back on the floor, moving away from him.

“D-Dagur, where are you going?” He felt too weak to even open his eyes and look.

“Getting the blanket. Have to stop the bleeding with something.”

_Am I bleeding a lot?_ Hiccup did manage to open his eyes, and he peered down at his leg. There was blood on it, blood on the floor underneath it. Then he looked past it, to the spikes strewn over the floor. There was blood on those too, and he felt dizzy for looking at them. Those had been _in_ him. He groaned, closed his eyes again and rested his head back. Dagur came back over, and he gave a yelp as he pressed the blanket to his leg.

Dagur winced. “Sorry, Hiccup.”

“S’okay.” He found himself reaching for him again, and Dagur complied, taking his hand in his. “Thank you.” It was such a small thing to say. It didn’t seem to sum up the gratitude he felt for him, for everything that he’d done for him. He wanted to say more to him, but didn’t exactly know what. He didn’t really know how to express what he was feeling, maybe because he wasn’t quite sure what it was he was feeling.

After some time in silence Dagur asked: “So, when do you think Viggo’s going to try again?”

“He won’t.”

“What? Why not? Hiccup, you didn’t tell him, did you?”

Hiccup lowered his voice, just in case there were any guards listening. “I lied.” He found a small, satisfied smile making it onto his lips, and he opened his eyes to look at Dagur. He didn’t look impressed with him like he’d expected him to. Instead there was just horror.

“Hiccup, when he finds out… Oh Thor, he’s going to _destroy_ you.” Dagur looked terrified now, terrified for him.

Hiccup swallowed, remembering how Viggo had taken him. “He already did.”

“He’ll do worse. You shouldn’t have done that. You should have… Well, I don’t know what you should have done. Anything but that.”

“It’s okay,” Hiccup told him. “My friends will find and rescue us soon.”

“You think that’ll happen before he finds out you lied?”

“Yeah. They work fast.” Hiccup had good faith that his friends would find them soon. Usually when he got into situations like this it wasn’t long before he was out of it. That worked to make him feel guilty again. If he hadn’t ditched Astrid, they wouldn’t have to come and rescue him. “You know that.”

“Yeah. I’m just worried about you.”

“That’s a strange thing to hear in your voice,” Hiccup admitted.

Dagur shrugged with his good shoulder. “Strange to say it too, but it’s true. Though, worrying about people kind of sucks, doesn’t it?”

“It does.”

Then Dagur was looking down and away from him, something clearly on his mind. 

“What is it?”

“Will your friends take me with you?” Dagur asked. “What if they just leave me here?”

Hiccup gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll make sure they won’t.”

Dagur met his gaze again. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

 

The ship shook. Hiccup woke, lifted his head from Dagur’s shoulder, who was asleep beside him. Nothing happened again, and he wondered if maybe he’d imagined the movement, if maybe he’d been dreaming.

It shook again, and there was a clear sound of an explosion from above. Hiccup smiled widely, the motion pulling at his brand.

“Dagur.” He shook him gently, not wanting to hurt him. “Dagur, wake up.”

Dagur jolted awake. “Yeah, what? What is it?”

“We’re about to be rescued.”

Dagur didn’t smile like Hiccup had expected him to. He frowned, and then one hand went to his neck, touching beneath the brand. This made Hiccup frown as well. He’d been so happy about the thought of going home that he’d forgotten what he was now, or, what he wasn’t. What would his friends think of him?

Dagur reached for the blanket. It was covered in blood, but he pulled it over Hiccup anyway. “Here. At least one of us should have some decency.”

Hiccup felt bad that Dagur didn’t have anything to cover himself with, but he wasn’t about to turn it down. He didn’t want anyone else seeing him naked, especially not after what Viggo had done to him. He’d already decided that he wasn’t going to tell any of them about that. Let them think he’d only tortured him. That was something that only he and Dagur could know about.

The sounds of fighting lasted a few minutes, and Hiccup and Dagur waited in tense silence. Hiccup hoped that nobody was hurt. If they were he’d feel responsible. It was his fault they’d had to do this, so it’d be his fault if anyone got hurt. 

Then there were running footsteps coming down the hallway, and Dagur pushed himself away from Hiccup.

“Hiccup?!” 

“Astrid!” Shame and relief twined around each other, battling for dominance. “I’m here!”

She appeared at the door of the cell, a guard’s keys dangling in one hand, her axe in the other. Relief won in him for the moment, even as it seeped from Astrid’s features. Then her eyes flitted to Dagur, and shock took over.

“ _Dagur?!_ ” Her face heated, probably at noticing his nudity, and she looked back to Hiccup. “What the Hel is _he_ doing here?”

“Really long story,” Hiccup answered. “Could you just get us out of here?”

“Right, yeah.” Astrid put her axe on her back and unlocked the door. Once she entered the cell, Dagur stood, shakily, putting his hands to cover his front. His face was flushed a little as well. Astrid ignored him, went right over to Hiccup. “Can you stand?”

“Don’t have my prosthetic, and even if I did it’d be useless.” 

Astrid just nodded, looking at him, and Hiccup felt vulnerable under her gaze. Her eyes lingered on the brand on his face.

“I’m so sorry they did that to you,” she breathed.

Hiccup didn’t know what to say to that. There was nothing really.

“We’ll… We’ll discuss it later. Just help me up.”

Astrid bent and slid one arm under him, helped him up to stand on his one foot. He nearly fell once he was up; he could hardly support his own weight. It seemed Astrid was having trouble as well.

“Here, let me help,” Dagur offered, coming over.

Astrid whipped out a glare. “You stay away from him.”

“No, Astrid. It’s okay.” Hiccup was struggling to wrap the blanket around his waist with one hand, and he dropped it. Dagur picked it up, and luckily Astrid let him wrap it around his waist for him, but when he reached for him after, Astrid pulled Hiccup away.

“You’re not coming with us,” Astrid’s voice was harsh. “I don’t know how you ended up here or why the Hunters hurt you too, but we’re not here for you. We’re here for Hiccup.”

Dagur’s face fell.

“Astrid, he _is_ coming with us,” Hiccup insisted. “We can’t just leave him here.”

“Why not? I say we let him rot here. Hel, I say we sink the ship with him on it.”

Hiccup growled in frustration. “ _No._ You don’t… you don’t know what he did for me. He’s trying to change and he helped me.”

“Yeah, look what good that did.”

Hiccup was growing desperate. He didn’t know how to convince her. “Astrid, please. You have to listen to me. I’ll tell you everything later, but for now you have to get _both of us_ out of here.”

“I’m getting _you_ out of here.”

Hiccup let go of her, hoping he’d be able to stand on one foot just fine, but he lost his balance and found himself falling. Dagur caught him, winced at the pressure it no doubt put on his shoulder.

“Well then you can just leave. I’m not going with you unless Dagur’s coming too.”

Astrid’s eyes were big. “Hiccup, that’s ridiculous!”

“We’re taking him with us! I promised him we would!”

Astrid looked between him and Dagur, clenching and unclenching her fists. “Fine. Dagur, give him to me. There are two guards unconscious farther down the hallway. Get their clothes.”

Dagur nodded, and Hiccup was passed back to Astrid. He felt ridiculous like this, wished he could stand on his own. He was glad he’d be getting clothes though, even though they surely wouldn’t fit him. He was leaner than a lot of the Hunters.

“Where’s Toothless?” Astrid asked.

“Not here,” Hiccup told her. Despair sank in his stomach. “On an island. I’ll have to show you. He…” His throat felt like it was closing, and his next words were much quieter. “He might be dead.”

“What?!”

“L-like I said.” Hiccup felt tears welling in his eyes at the thought and he stubbornly held them back. “Long story.” He cleared his throat. “Did any of you guys run into Viggo?” 

“He’s on this ship?”

“Yeah.” The fingers of Hiccup’s left hand twitched, longing to be made into a fist. Hatred surged in him like towering flames. Viggo _owned_ him, and he’d taken him and ruined him, taken his body from him and made it _hurt_. He’d never wanted anyone dead before. He wanted _him_ dead. “We should find him and-”

Dagur gave a surprised shout from down the hallway. Astrid drew her axe with the hand she wasn’t holding Hiccup with.

“No need to come find me.” Viggo’s voice. And then he was in view of the cell, holding a half-clothed Dagur in front of him, a knife to his throat. At first Hiccup wondered why he wasn’t struggling, but then Hiccup saw that the hand that wasn’t holding the knife was on his injured shoulder, his thumb no doubt digging into the wound. Dagur’s face had gone white with pain. “Hello, Astrid. Would say it’s lovely to finally meet you, but seeing as you’re here trying to take my property from me, it’s really not. And especially after I just got them. So disappointing. I’d been hoping to enjoy them much longer.” He pointed the knife at Hiccup, his mouth turning up on one side. Hiccup sneered. “Especially him. He’s such a _pleasure_.”

“Hiccup, what is he talking about?” Astrid asked lowly, sounding fearful of hearing the answer. Hiccup’s stomach twisted.

“Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing you want to hear about,” Viggo told her. The knife went back to Dagur’s throat. “Now, Astrid, release Hiccup back to me or Dagur dies. I’m at least willing to part with one thrall.” 

Astrid laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “You really think I care about Dagur? Go ahead. Do it!”

“Wait! No!” Hiccup didn’t want Dagur to die, not after all that he’d done for him. He couldn’t let that happen.

“Ah, there’s the reaction I wanted.” Viggo adjusted his hold on Dagur, and Dagur winced. “Alright, Hiccup. Now that I’ve clearly gotten your attention, tell me where your Night Fury is.”

“What? I already told you.”

“Oh, I knew it was a lie as soon as it left your lips, but I decided to give you a break anyway. Where is he really?”

Hiccup swallowed hard, looked to Dagur. His expression was hard, emotions closed off from him. He’d be no help in this.

He couldn’t give up Toothless, but he couldn’t let Dagur die either. What was he supposed to do? He glanced down at the bloodstained spikes littered on the floor, an idea beginning to form.

“Tell me or we’ll see what this knife looks like in his throat.” Viggo pressed on it and Dagur grunted. A small trickle of blood made its way out from under the blade.

“I’ll tell you,” Hiccup told him. “Just release Dagur first.”

“Hiccup, what are you doing?” Astrid asked. Hiccup ignored her.

Viggo didn’t move to do as Hiccup had said. “That’s not how this works, Hiccup. You do what _I_ say.”

“Fine, but then I won’t tell you and I’ll let you kill Dagur. This way you don’t have to kill him, and you’ll have a Night Fury to sell.”

Viggo narrowed his eyes at him, but didn’t let go of Dagur, who was now giving him a questioning look. Hiccup rolled his shoulder, gestured as vaguely as he could to the spikes on the floor, hoping Dagur would understand. 

“Think of how much money that would make you, Viggo.” He said his name purposefully, defiantly. “The last Night Fury in existence. You’d be the richest man in the world. All you have to do to get that is let go of Dagur. Then I’ll tell you.”

A few tense moments passed in which nothing happened, and Hiccup feared Viggo would just kill Dagur anyway, but then he pulled the knife away from his throat and released him. Dagur staggered back out of Viggo’s view, nodded to Hiccup. He understood.

“Alright, Hiccup. Now, where’s your dragon?”

Hiccup glanced to Dagur for one last confirmation, then back to Viggo.

“Up your ass and around the corner.”

Dagur threw all of his weight at Viggo, ramming him with his good shoulder. Viggo gave a startled cry as he lost his balance and fell to the floor, dropping his knife. Hiccup pulled himself way from Astrid, lunged for one of the spikes. He grabbed it as quickly and tightly as he could in his stinging fingers.

Astrid went at Viggo with her axe, and he rolled away from the blow, now on his back. His throat was bared. Good. 

Before he could get up, Hiccup lifted his arm and stabbed downwards. There was something terribly satisfying at the feeling of the spike digging into Viggo’s flesh, at the blood that spurted out and the choking, gurgling sound that left him. His hands went to the spike, and they quickly became drenched in blood. Finally, he was getting his own blood on his hands instead of someone else’s, instead of Hiccup’s or Dagur’s. His eyes went to Hiccup, utterly shocked. 

Hiccup wanted to say something, wanted Viggo to hear one last thing before he died. He remembered what those Hunters had called him after branding him, what Viggo himself had called him after Dagur had lost consciousness.

“I’m not your bitch.”

Then Viggo gave one last, gurgling gasp of air, and the small bit of deformed light that had been in his eyes left. Hiccup twisted the spike, just to make sure, and he didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. He was dead.

Hiccup let go of the spike, sagged to the floor, letting out a huge exhale. No one said anything for a while. Then Dagur spoke:

“Really, Hiccup? Up your ass and around the corner? That’s the best thing you had?”

Hiccup heaved out a bit of a laugh. It hurt to do so. He looked to Dagur. “I’m tired, okay?” Then he looked between Astrid and Dagur. “Could one of you get me clothes, please?”

“I’ll do it.” Dagur left again, and this time he wouldn’t have Viggo waiting for him. Hiccup lifted himself up on his arms, groaning. Then he just looked down at him, at his unmoving eyes, his _dead_ eyes. He didn’t own him anymore. He couldn’t own him if he was dead.

“Hiccup?” Astrid’s voice was hesitant. “What was Viggo talking about when he said- Why did you say you’re not-”

“I’ll tell you later.” Hiccup knew he would have to now. “After we get Toothless and go home.”

And hopefully Toothless would be alive. Hopefully he’d be able to go home with them.


	4. Chapter 4

Hiccup was grateful to be wearing clothes again, though they were much too big on him. He didn’t care though. He’d take anything he could get. His friends said nothing about his brand, just looked at him mournfully. He didn’t know how he felt about it now. With Viggo dead, he didn’t own him anymore. But Ryker… And then his friends informed him that he was dead too, that Hookfang had burned him to a crisp protecting Snotlout. Hiccup and Dagur were free from the Hunters.

There were a lot of questions about Dagur, about why he was coming with them, and Hiccup didn’t know how to answer all of them, didn’t know how to tell them what had happened. Luckily, they agreed to take him with them. What convinced them was that Astrid was on board with it, albeit reluctantly, even though Dagur had helped to kill Viggo.

Now they were on the way to the island that Hiccup had crashed at with Toothless. He rode behind Astrid, his arms around her waist to stay on. Dagur rode with an uneasy Snotlout, who’d told Hookfang to “Toast his deranged ass” if he did anything suspicious.

Hiccup used the time on the flight to explain some of what had happened to the Riders, of how Toothless had been hit with a Dragon Root arrow and they’d crashed on the island and found Dagur. He explained how Dagur had helped them hide from the Hunters, how he’d taken an arrow for him. His voice choked up when he talked about the antidote and how he didn’t know whether or not it had killed Toothless. His friends wanted to be mad at Dagur for that, but Hiccup explained that he hadn’t known and had just been trying to help. Either the antidote had killed him or it had helped, which was a better shot than he had before. It had been clear that the Dragon Root was killing him.

Hiccup couldn’t talk after that though, too frightened to go on. He was scared of reaching the island, of truly finding out what had happened to Toothless. He was eager too, hoping that he’d be alive, but he couldn’t be sure, and that was what scared him so much about it.

Dagur more or less filled them in on everything else. He told them how the Hunters had captured and branded them, and brought them to Viggo to be tortured. He said nothing else about it though. What had happened with Viggo was just between him and Hiccup.

“Wait, Dagur. You could have given up Toothless at any time,” Fishlegs pointed out. “Why didn’t you? Why’d you do something as big as taking a brand for a dragon that you yourself have hunted?”

“I, um…” Dagur looked to Hiccup, who just gave him a small smile. He understood now. “I did it for Hiccup.”

No one said anything to that. They just shared glances. Hiccup felt a little awkward now that they knew of Dagur’s feelings for him. He knew he’d probably be questioned about it later. He’d be questioned about a lot of things. And he still had to tell Astrid about what Viggo had done. Or maybe he didn’t have to tell her. Maybe he could just say that it was something he didn’t want to share.

They reached the island, and Hiccup’s heart went into his throat. He could hear his blood rushing in his ears. This was it. Time to find out if Toothless was dead or alive.

Dagur directed them towards the waterfall, and they landed at the top of it. Hiccup wanted to hop off of Stormfly and join Astrid, Snotlout, and the twins in going to the cave, but he was weak and couldn’t walk. Dagur went with them to show them exactly where the cave was, though his movements were shaky. They both needed food, water, medical attention, and rest, but Toothless came first.

Hiccup was glad Fishlegs at least stayed with him though. He didn’t think he’d be able to bear waiting all on his own.

“So Dagur really did all that for you?” Fishlegs asked. “It seems so unlike him.”

“I know. It’s crazy, but he’s trying to change.” Hiccup figured he had to find some way to repay him after this. Nothing could ever truly repay that, could ever fix the brand that they both shared, but he could at least try. He wanted to. An idea came to mind, something he would have never even considered before all this, but after everything that they’d gone through together, it seemed fitting. It still scared him though. To do that with someone after he’d been… Maybe Hiccup could find something else.

“Hiccup, I think he-”

“Yeah, I know.” Hiccup didn’t want it said out loud for some reason. There would be something strange about saying it out loud. Besides, did it really need to be said after it had been so thoroughly demonstrated? “He does.”

“Did he tell you?”

Hiccup shook his head. “Didn’t have to. He wouldn’t have done all this for me if he didn’t.”

Fishlegs just nodded. “And how do you feel about him? I mean, two days ago he was your enemy.”

“I don’t… I don’t really know. I’m grateful to him. That’s for sure.” Hiccup wasn’t going to tell Fishlegs about his other feelings that had surfaced, feelings that he was trying to deny. Hiccup hadn’t even thought he’d liked men in that way, but what he was now feeling for Dagur… He decided he’d have to give it some time. Maybe they were just fleeting, his gratefulness manifesting itself as something else, and they would go away in a few days. “He could have given Toothless up at any time, but he didn’t. He didn’t have to be branded or tortured, but he let it happen anyway.”

Fishlegs looked towards the waterfall. “I know you trust him now, but we’re all still skeptical.”

“I know.” Hiccup was hoping they weren’t thinking of locking Dagur up when they got back to the Edge. They were going back to the Edge, right? He didn’t want to go to Berk, not looking like this. He didn’t want to see his dad with himself ruined like this. He knew he would have to though. There was no doubt that he and Dagur needed Gothi, and when someone went to get Gothi, Stoick would come too. “Just don’t lock him up, please. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“What if he hurts someone?”

“He won’t hurt anyone. And even if he wanted to, he’d have a hard time. I’m surprised he’s standing.”

“What if he… hurts you?” Fishlegs asked it carefully. Hiccup knew what he was thinking about.

“He won’t.”

“You’re sure of that? It’s Dagur we’re talking about here.” Fishlegs’ voice was laced with concern. “Hiccup, I don’t want anything else happening to you.”

“I’m sure he won’t. He could have done it at any point, but he didn’t.” _And he could have taken Viggo’s offer and had me after him._ “He didn’t take any of the chances he was given. I’m safe around him.” That was odd to say. Never had Hiccup thought he would be safe around Dagur the Deranged.

Dagur and his friends were coming back from the waterfall. Hiccup craned his head a little bit, searching for Toothless, but he didn’t see him. His heart sank and his chest constricted. Did that mean that they’d found him dead? His body would be too heavy to bring back unless they had the help of dragons. 

“Oh gods, no,” Hiccup breathed. “Please no.” Tears stung at his eyes.

But his friends weren’t looking all that distressed when they reached him. What did that mean?

“Hiccup, he’s not in there,” Astrid told him. “And there were no signs of Hunters either.”

Hiccup felt like he could breathe again. “So he’s alive and wandering around,” he realized. Relief burst in his chest and flooded out to the rest of him. “He’s looking for me.” Then he looked to Dagur, smiled widely at him. The antidote had worked. The Dragon Root would have killed Toothless. He still felt like he was going to cry, but this time from relief. “Thank you, Dagur.”

Astrid hopped onto Stormfly in front of Hiccup. “Okay. We’ll split up and search the island. Signal if you find him.”

Hiccup didn’t want to split up. That would mean he would be alone with Astrid. That would mean questions, but he wouldn’t stop them. Splitting up would be the fastest way to find him.

They flew low over the island, staying just above the trees. For a long while neither of them said anything, but then Astrid spoke.

“So, um, what did Viggo mean by saying you…” The volume of her voice dropped when she continued. “You were a pleasure?” There was a sort of queasiness in her tone. “What did he do to you?”

Hiccup didn’t want to say it, but he didn’t feel like he could keep it from her either. She already knew too much about it. The others knew nothing. They didn’t have to know, not ever.

Hiccup opened his mouth, was going to say it, but then he couldn’t and ended up with: “What do you think he did?”

“I think he- please, Hiccup.” She looked back towards him, eyes big and sorrowful. “Please don’t make me say it. Is that what he did?”

Hiccup blinked back tears, drew his eyes away from her, focusing on the forest below them. “Yeah.”

“Oh gods, Hiccup,” she uttered in horror. “I… That’s… I don’t know what to say.”

Hiccup shrugged. “There’s not really anything _to_ say, I guess. It happened and I can’t- I can’t go back from it.”

“What about Dagur? He didn’t… do that to him, did he?”

“No.” _But he wanted him to watch and he offered me up in return for Toothless._

“Does he know?”

Hiccup felt his tears coming now. They slid down his cheeks, stung in his brand. “Yeah.” The word came out as a pained whimper. “H-he was there. Chained up next t-to me the whole time. He actually- He helped me through it. Talked to me, c-calmed me down as best he could.”

Astrid said nothing, and Hiccup was alright with that. What could be said about all he’d just revealed to her? He wiped at the right side of his face, avoiding the left side. He briefly wondered how long it would take for the brand to stop hurting.

“I don’t want anyone else knowing about this, Astrid. Not my dad, not anyone.” 

“I understand. I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

Hiccup felt relieved hearing her say those words. “Thank you.”

They flew on in silence.

“Wait, wait! Stop!” 

Astrid pulled up Stormfly and Hiccup pointed towards the beach. “Look! Down there!” A ways away from them, prowling along the sand, was Toothless. “Take me down to him.”

They swooped down towards the beach and Toothless looked up at their approach. He hopped around excitedly, gave his best try at a smile. They landed, and, forgetting he couldn’t walk, and though his body was hurting, Hiccup threw himself off of Stormfly. He landed in the sand on his one bare foot, careened forward, falling, but then Toothless was there to catch him, pressing his head against him and holding him up.

“Toothless! Toothless, you’re okay! You’re okay!” He hugged him as tight as his injuries would allow. The injured nerves in his elbows protested, making both his arms twinge and sting. “I missed you, bud!”

Toothless warbled happily at him, and Hiccup pulled away, letting himself be held up by Astrid now, who had dismounted. Toothless’ evident happiness faded when he looked at him. His green eyes grew terribly sad, confused. He sniffed at the brand, and Hiccup let him, though he hoped he wouldn’t try to lick it. That would certainly hurt. Then Toothless was sniffing at the blood on his hands.

“Don’t worry, bud. That’s not mine.” He was very glad that wasn’t his. He’d lost enough of his own blood already, and Toothless could smell it, as he’d now lowered his head to the stump of his leg, his nostrils flaring.

“I’ll be okay,” Hiccup told him. “Let’s just go home.”

 

Home, luckily, happened to be the Edge. It was closer than Berk and everyone decided that Hiccup and Dagur needed rest. Hiccup had been afraid that they would try to lock Dagur up in the stables, but after having found Toothless alive, they were grateful to him as well. However, they didn’t know where to keep him. For the moment they were all in the clubhouse, save for Snotlout who had gone on to Berk to get Gothi, and Hiccup and Dagur’s wounds were being tended to as best as they could until she arrived. 

“He can stay with me,” Hiccup offered. Given all that had happened, it really wouldn’t be a problem. He’d even feel better for having Dagur with him.

The twins gave each other wary glances, Tuffnut looking up from cleaning around Dagur’s shoulder. It would be best to get all the blood off to know where the wound truly was.

“You sure about that, Hiccup?” Ruffnut asked.

Dagur sighed tiredly. “Guys, I can understand the skepticism, but I’m not gonna hurt him. Even if I wanted to I couldn’t.”

“Yeah, but still…” Fishlegs said from where he knelt by Hiccup. He was cleaning the blood off his abdomen. Hiccup hadn’t liked having to take his shirt off, but he did it anyway while trying to hide that he was uneasy. No one could know all that Viggo had done.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of his friends not taking his word for it, though it made sense why they were acting like this. He wasn’t in the mood to be understanding though. He was hurting, tired, thirsty, and hungry, and just wanted them to let Dagur sleep in his hut.

“He’s not gonna hurt me. He had every chance to and he didn’t. And I’ll have Toothless with me. Dagur saved his life if you’re all forgetting. Ow!” He jumped as Fishlegs dabbed at one of the slashes on his stomach.

Fishlegs winced. “Sorry, Hiccup.”

“It’s okay.” He made himself relax in the chair agan. “That’s not even the worst of it.”

“Where is the worst of it?” Fishlegs questioned.

“My leg.” Hiccup’s appeal still hadn’t been answered though. “So are you going to let Dagur stay in my hut or not?”

The Dragon Riders looked between each other. Astrid was the first to speak.

“Fine, he can stay.” Then she turned a dangerous look on Dagur, like a dragon staring down its prey. “But if you hurt him in any way I’ll make what Viggo did to you look laughable.”

Dagur snorted. “Doubt it, but I get your point.” Dagur looked to Fishlegs, awaiting his approval.

“Fine, I guess. No need to threaten you either because Astrid already did it.”

Dagur looked to the twins. “And are you guys okay with it?

Ruffnut shrugged. “I guess if everyone else is.”

“I mean, if you do do anything to hurt Hiccup, Toothless will fry you on the spot, so yeah, I’m okay with it.” Tuffnut peered at Dagur’s shoulder, squinting. “Damn. What the Hel did he do to you? That’s a _mess_. Ugh!”

“The psycho thought it would be fun to put spikes in my arrow wound,” Dagur said almost nonchalantly, but Hiccup could see the pain on his face.

“He kind of had a thing for spikes.” There was a stool near Hiccup, so he put his left leg up on it, gritting his teeth at the movement. He figured the wounds there would need tending to more than anything else. He reached out to try to roll up the leg of the too-big pants he was wearing to reveal his stump, but the motion sparked pain into his arms. “Fishlegs, could you…?” He was feeling a little nervous. His friends had never seen the stump of his leg unclothed before, and they’d definitely never seen it like this.

The way Fishlegs gulped was audible, but he began rolling up the pant leg anyway. Hiccup decided it was best not to look at it again and instead found himself leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

“Hiccup, oh Thor,” Fishlegs breathed. “Oh Thor, that’s _bad_.”

“We should probably disinfect it,” Astrid suggested. “Same goes for your shoulder, Dagur.”

“Great,” Dagur said very unenthusiastically. 

“Shit,” Hiccup muttered. He opened his eyes, spared a glance down at his leg, and his stomach lurched at it. He quickly looked away again, trying to take deep breaths. “C-could I maybe eat dinner first?” Hiccup felt like the disinfecting of his wounds would be too much to handle, that he’d probably pass out from it, but he at least wanted to get something in his stomach.

Fishlegs smacked himself upside the head. “Right! You must be starving!”

“What about me?” Dagur asked. “Am I getting food?”

“Of course you’re getting food,” Fishlegs answered. “What? Do you think we’re as bad as those Dragon Hunters?” He gave a nod to Ruff and Tuff. “While I’m cooking could you two move Hiccup’s bed down to the bottom floor? He’s not going to be able to go up and down stairs for a while.”

Usually the twins didn’t take any work without complaint, but in this case they just agreed to it and left to complete the task. Hiccup was grateful that they didn’t have to be talked into doing it. He rested his head back against the chair, closed his eyes again. He must have dozed off, because it didn’t seem like much time had passed before a plate of food was being set in front of him. He didn’t even pay attention to what it was, just began eating. Dagur ate just as ravenously, and no one spoke. It even remained quiet after the twins re-joined them. Hiccup didn’t know whether or not there was tension in the room with the silence: he was too tired to care.

Though, once he was finished eating his stomach fluttered with anxiety, his breaths beginning to rush a little. He didn’t want more pain, and disinfecting his wounds was going to _hurt_. He kept his leg visible and elevated though. There would be no point in fighting his friends when they were just trying to help. The torture was over.

Dagur insisted that they take care of Hiccup’s wounds first, and when Hiccup gave him a despairing look, he returned it with an empathetic one. Empathy was foreign to see on Dagur’s face, in eyes that Hiccup was so used to seeing malice and anger in, and he found that he liked this look much better. Dagur’s face wasn’t even that unattractive when he came to think of it.

His friends were moving around him, and there were voices that were meant for each other and not for him, so he didn’t pay them any attention, just kept his gaze on Dagur, trying to keep himself calm. Eyes that used to be near-panic-inducing were now soothing. There was something reassuring about the way he was looking at him, though, Hiccup wished he was holding his hand.

Actually, it didn’t matter if it was Dagur’s hand. He felt himself holding onto something, looked to see that it was Astrid. She squeezed his hand, and then his leg was set on fire.

Hiccup shrieked, thrashed, forgetting who was doing this to him and why. Then there were hands on him, holding him down, and the fire in his leg just increased in intensity. He wanted it to stop, tried to yell for them to, but his voice refused to produce anything but an anguished roar.

Then the pain was reaching a peak that was just too much. Hiccup succumbed to the fire, falling into it, and it took him and wrapped him in a blanket made of suffering.

 

_Hiccup panted as Viggo trailed the knife down over his abdomen. He wasn’t cutting skin yet, but he would very soon._

_“Where should I cut you?” Viggo mused as if Hiccup would give him an answer. “To be honest with you, I really don’t want to, but you’re leaving me no choice.”_

_“Wh-why don’t you want to?”_

_“Well, I don’t want to scuff up my new concubine too much, now do I?”_

_Hiccup couldn’t hold in a despairing sob at the word. Concubine. That’s what Viggo wanted him for._

_“Come now, Hiccup.” Now a hand was touching him along with the knife, and he longed to move away from it but he had nowhere to go. “Being my pleasure slave can’t be the worst fate imaginable. I can make you feel good.” He was stroking his thigh, the knife pressing into his stomach almost hard enough to cut. “I already have. You don’t have to feel pain right now if you give up your dragon. I can make you feel good again.”_

_“Stop. Touching. Me.” The words were forceful, stronger than he’d hoped them to be._

_“Pain and pleasure are your only two options, my dear Hiccup. Which do you prefer?”_

_“Pain.”_

_“As you wish.”_

_The knife sliced into him, and Hiccup shouted, tugged hard on his chains. Viggo came close, leaving the knife in him, and Hiccup whimpered as he ran his other hand up over his side. Then his lips were touching the uninjured side of his face, and Hiccup didn’t think he could cringe hard enough to show his discomfort at the contact._

_“But know that either way I will make you my bitch.”_

 

Hiccup woke, whimpering and crying, his leg burning and throbbing and trying to drive him into madness. It took him a few moments to realize that he hadn’t woken on his own, that there was a gentle hand on his shoulder and someone calling his name. There was more contact, Toothless pressing his snout into his back. He opened his eyes to find Dagur standing over him in the dark, and he nearly panicked just from seeing him, but then memories came flooding back to him and he calmed. He surveyed his surroundings for a moment before realizing that he was in his bed in his hut. He was safe.

“Hiccup, you okay?”

“N-nightmare. ’Bout what happened. L-leg hurts.” Hiccup rolled onto his back. He’d accidentally moved onto his left side in his sleep, and now his brand was burning for it. He hated it. He hated it so much, but at least no one owned him anymore. He was free, but that didn’t mean he had his status back. That didn’t mean his face hadn’t been painfully ruined. He reached his right hand out for Toothless, feeling comforted when he pressed his nose into his palm. Then he looked back to Dagur. If not for him, Toothless wouldn’t be here with him right now. He wanted to muster a smile for him, but he couldn’t. He just hurt too much, inside and out.

“Anything I can do?”

“Don’t think so. Just…” Hiccup tilted his head. “Where were you sleeping?”

Dagur pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “Your friends set up a little place on the floor with some pillows and stuff for me.”

Hiccup moved over in his bed. It wasn’t very big, but if he and Dagur cuddled there would be room. His eyes had adjusted to the dark, and so he saw Dagur raise his eyebrows.

“Hiccup, what are you doing?”

“Sharing. Come on. Get in.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. A bed would be better for you.”

Dagur didn’t try to argue with him. Though it hurt his arm to do so, Hiccup lifted the blanket for him and allowed Dagur to climb into bed next to him, rolling onto his right side to give him room. Then he felt his breath on his face, the heat of his body, and he nearly panicked, but then he reminded himself that this wasn’t Viggo. Dagur had gotten every chance to do what Viggo had done, but he hadn’t, and he wouldn’t now. But still...

“Is this okay?” Dagur had positioned himself on his left side, facing Hiccup.

“I don’t… I don’t know.” Hiccup didn’t want to tell him no. He _wanted_ this to be okay, wanted to be close to Dagur without thinking of Viggo and what he’d done to him. “Your arms are k-kind of awkward,” he ended up saying.

“What do you mean?”

“They’re so big and they’re just… laying there.” Hiccup was breathing faster now. Maybe he should just tell him to get out of the bed. He’d do it if he told him. He’d understand.

“What do you want me to do with them?”

Hiccup knew what he wanted, but his fears were trying to negate that. To have someone touch him, to have a _man_ touch him… No. He had to do this. Had to get over his fear.

“H-hold me?” It came out as a squeak, and Hiccup hated it. He almost expected Dagur to make fun of him for it.

Dagur didn’t make fun of him, just wrapped his arms around him instead. Hiccup found that he nearly kicked him at the motion, that part of him saw this as a prelude to an assault and wanted to be free. He wrestled down that part of himself. It was wrong. This wasn’t a prelude to an assault. This wasn’t a prelude to anything. Dagur was just holding him.

“Hiccup, you’re breathing kind of fast,” Dagur noted. “We don’t have to do this.”

“No, it’s okay.” He was telling that to Dagur and himself. “It’s okay.”

And after some time, it was. The tension leaked out of Hiccup’s body and he found himself relaxing into Dagur. The contact was nice, comforting. There was still discomfort and a hint of terror running underneath all of that, but it was mostly muted. He didn’t have to pay attention to it.

“Hiccup, what happened after I fainted?” Dagur asked, breaking the silence. Hiccup had been hoping that he wouldn’t talk, but talking was inevitable. There were things that Dagur wanted to know.

“Well, he, um, finished with me.” Hiccup found himself huddling into Dagur more with the words, oddly feeling that he would protect him, that he was safer with his arms around him like this.

“Did you, uh… you know?”

Shame made Hiccup want to curl in on himself and never move again. He closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Dagur. “I did. It’s… it’s not fair. I didn’t like it or want it but I… It happened anyway.”

“Hiccup, that’s not your fault.” 

“I know it’s not. I mean, I keep telling myself that, but it still feels like it is. If I didn’t like it, then why did it feel good?” Hiccup was so confused by this. Why had his body liked it if he hadn’t? Weren’t he and his body supposed to be in sync with each other about things like that? “It hurt too, but I still…” He couldn’t bring himself to say the word.

“Hiccup, that’s not your fault,” Dagur repeated. “That’s not even your body’s fault. It’s _his_ fault. He took advantage of something you can’t help. He took advantage of _you_.”

“I know he did. I… I need time to process all this, I guess.”

“That’s perfectly reasonable.” Dagur was silent for a time. “You need to talk about anything else? I’ll listen.”

Hiccup figured he could tell him about the other things that were bothering him. Dagur had gone through this with him. He would understand. Besides, he didn’t think he’d be able to get back to sleep anytime soon. His leg was hurting too much.

“He tried using you against me.”

“But I thought he’d already figured out that hurting me wasn’t going to make you talk.”

“No, not like that. He knew that I was scared of you, or, used to be scared of you,” Hiccup began to explain. “He knew I was scared of what you would do to me, so he said that if I didn’t talk he’d order you to- he’d make you… and he’d just sit and watch it happen. That’s when I couldn’t take it anymore. That’s when I lied.”

“Hiccup, I would never. That’s something the old me would have done.”

“Even if he hurt you bad enough?” Hiccup questioned. “Even if he presented me to you and said I was all yours?”

For a long while Dagur didn’t say anything, and Hiccup was afraid to hear his answer.

“That doesn’t matter now. He’s dead.”

“But would you have?”

Dagur sighed. “Hiccup, it’s hard to say when I’m not in that situation. I would hope that if it had come to that I wouldn’t have, but I just can’t say.”

Hiccup guessed he would have to be satisfied with that answer.

“What else happened?”

“H-he told me what he’d use me for after,” Hiccup responded. “Told me I’d… I’d be his sex slave. And I knew my friends were coming to rescue me, but it scared me to death anyway. Just the thought of… being like that for the rest of my life.”

Dagur held him a little bit tighter at his words, and Hiccup was okay with it. It felt nice. 

“You’re safe now, Hiccup.”

“I know.”

Then Dagur did something that surprised him. He kissed him on the forehead. It was gentle and compassionate, soothing. After that there was no more talking, and exhaustion began to override the pain in his leg. Eventually, Hiccup fell asleep, and unlike the night before, it felt right to be in Dagur’s arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter! Fluff, consent, and that good ol' communication in time for Valentine's Day.

Hiccup was nervous all the next day, awaiting Gothi’s arrival, which would probably be that night, and with Gothi would come his dad. He didn’t want to look at him like this, didn’t want to see him ever again. Hel, he never even wanted to see his own reflection ever again. Viggo was dead and he was free, but his status as heir had been forever burned out of him, unless Stoick was to make an exception. He very well might, and Hiccup didn’t know if he wanted that. It scared him to think of seeing the members of his tribe again, of ruling them in the future with this thing on his face. It was a permanent reminder of his mistake.

His friends took turns visiting him, trying to ease his nerves and help in any way they could. Fishlegs had made him a pair of crutches so he would be able to move around, but his arms were still hurting too much to use them or do much of anything else. They began warming up to Dagur as well, who kept himself seated on Hiccup’s bed. No one knew that they had shared the bed last night, and Hiccup didn’t want them to. All that he was feeling was still new, and he didn’t want to share it with anyone if he didn’t have to.

Snotlout returned with Stoick and Gothi after dinner. His father didn’t seem shocked at seeing Dagur, or Hiccup’s brand, so Snotlout must have filled him in. Dagur just gave Hiccup a sympathetic look as he left the hut with Gothi, silently wishing him luck with his father.

Stoick sat in the chair that had been pulled up to the bed, folded his hands, looked down at them. Nerves ate a hole through Hiccup’s stomach as he waited for him to say something.

“How are you doing?”

So he was avoiding the obvious thing they needed to talk about. Hiccup didn’t know if he was okay with it. If they just talked about the brand they could get it over with.

“Not good,” Hiccup answered honestly. There would be no point in telling him that he was fine when he so clearly wasn’t.

“How badly did he hurt you?” Stoick’s hands clenched into fists. Hiccup knew that he wanted to hurt and kill Viggo for doing this to him, but he’d gotten to him first. Now Stoick had nowhere to put his anger.

“My leg’s the worst of it,” Hiccup answered, laying a hand on his left leg to show which one. That felt like a lie. The worst had been the rape, but Stoick was never going to know about that. “He put spikes in it.”

Stoick grimaced. “And even after that you didn’t give up Toothless?”

Toothless had so far been silent, but he made a cooing noise at the mention of his name. Hiccup held his hand out to him and he came towards him, let him scratch him under the chin. 

“He’s worth that.”

Then Stoick looked up, looked at his face, his brand. “He’s worth a lot then.”

Hiccup was very suddenly feeling guilty again. This was his fault. It was his fault his dad was seeing him like this, stripped of his status. It was his fault they had to have this conversation. He lowered his hand from Toothless. He tried to look back towards his father, to meet his gaze, but it was too difficult. “Yeah, dad, um, I’m sorry. The brand - it’s-it’s my fault. And yeah, Viggo and Ryker are dead, so I’m free, but I’m not… I can’t be your heir anymore.”

Stoick sighed heavily, tiredly. “That is usually the law, but exceptions can be made.”

“Exceptions? Dad, you can’t just go bending and ignoring laws where they don’t suit you. You’re the chief, so you should have to follow them too.”

“I’ll bend any laws I want if it’s in regards to you, Hiccup. I still want you as my heir, and I don’t think a brand should change that.”

Hiccup did meet his gaze now, feeling a strange mix of gratefulness and unease. Then fear came in to join them, fear of the future, of ruling while looking like this. “What if people don’t accept me as chief? It’s not like I can hide this.” He pointed to the still-burning mark on his face. He wished it would just stop hurting already. He wished it wasn’t even there.

“They’ll have to accept you, because I’m not appointing anyone else when my time comes to step down.” There was command in his voice, as if he was now talking to those people that would question Hiccup’s rule. “And when that time comes you better not question yourself because of this either.”

“I’m questioning myself _now_ , dad,” Hiccup told him honestly. “How am I supposed to face anybody looking like this? How am I supposed to face _myself?_ ”

“You’ll just have to give it time, Hiccup. You need to heal first. No one on Berk will know about this until you’re well and ready for them to.”

“Except Gobber.” Hiccup could allow that exception. Gobber was Stoick’s best friend. He told him everything. He could tell him this too. Stoick didn’t have to be burdened with this knowledge alone.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. You tell him everything anyway.”

“Even about Dagur?”

“I mean, he might be staying with us for a while,” Hiccup said. “It’s not that easy to reinstate yourself as chief after you’ve been gone for months and now have a brand.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“What? With him staying? Yeah, of course I am. He did _so much_ for me, dad.” 

“You’re sure he won’t hurt you?”

“I’m positive.” Hiccup remembered how tenderly Dagur had held him the night before, how safe he’d felt in his arms. He’d never hurt him again.

Stoick stood. “Well, I suppose I should go talk to him.”

“About what?”

“Just want to make some things clear to him.”

Hiccup wanted to ask what kinds of things, but he decided not to. Stoick was being vague because he didn’t want to tell him. He wasn’t going to get a clear answer even if he kept pressing for one.

“Just get some rest. Gothi will see to you once she’s done with Dagur.” That served as his father’s goodbye, because then he turned and left, leaving Hiccup wondering what he was going to talk to Dagur about.

 

Dagur wasn’t all that surprised when Stoick came into the clubhouse. Though, he didn’t want to talk to him at the moment. Gothi had made him drink a potion for pain, and now she was working on stitching his shoulder. Even with the potion the attention hurt badly, and he didn’t want to show weakness to Stoick. Maybe that’s why he was doing this now. Maybe he wanted to see him weak.

There was no such look that hinted at that when Stoick sat down near him though, no fury or hostility like he’d expected. So he must have been filled in on what had happened.

Stoick just pointedly looked at the brand on the side of his neck, and it made Dagur uncomfortable. He swallowed.

“Uh, you gonna stop staring and say something?” His words came out a little slurred, probably from the potion.

“You…” Stoick paused, looking to be debating on what word to use, “have feelings for my son, don’t you?”

There was no point denying it. The proof of it was burning on his neck. “I do.”

“And do you know how Hiccup feels about you?”

Dagur looked away from him for a moment as the pain got particularly bad, gritted his teeth. He tried not to make a sound but a groan escaped. He shook his head. He wasn’t entirely sure how Hiccup felt about him, but he was hoping that he returned his feelings. It certainly seemed to be that way.

“Well, if he doesn’t feel the same way, you back off. Don’t give him attention he doesn’t want. Don’t touch him in ways he doesn’t want. I can kill you without starting a war now, so if you hurt him…” Stoick didn’t finish. They both got the idea.

“Yeah, I get it,” he said tiredly, turning his head back to him. He was getting sick of being threatened. “I won’t hurt him. I promise.”

“Good.” Stoick’s eyes lost their threatening gleam, but they were still hard and serious. “And, if by chance Hiccup does feel the same way back, you treat him well. He deserves it.”

Dagur nodded. “I understand.”

 

Later that night, wrapped in Dagur’s arms, Hiccup meant to ask about what Stoick had said to him, but he was woozy from the potion Gothi had given him for pain. He was grateful for it, and especially grateful that she’d given it to him before stitching up his wounds. Without it the experience would have been unbearable. He figured she’d given Dagur some as well, as he’d stumbled back into his hut and practically collapsed on the bed next to him. Now they just held each other, not sleeping, but not talking either.

Hiccup found himself once again thinking of how he wanted to thank Dagur for all he’d done, once again thinking of how much his feelings for him had changed in such a short time. He felt something undeniably strong, and it would be stupid to keep pretending it didn’t exist. He looked at his lips. They were facing each other, wrapped in each other’s arms. It was interesting for Hiccup to hold him back, to have his arms wrapped around his waist. He’d thought such a thing would never happen. They were in a good position. If he just leaned forward-

There was suddenly a hand on his chest to stay him. “No.”

Hiccup’s face fell. He’d been so sure of it. Why was Dagur denying him? Had he somehow misinterpreted Dagur’s feelings for him this whole time?

“Why not?”

“Because we’re both… we’re both drugged up right now,” Dagur answered, words coming out slowly, with difficulty. “I wanna be in my right mind when I kiss you. Want you to be in your right mind too.”

“I am in my right mind.”

“Alright. Prove it. Which foot are you missing again?”

Hiccup snorted. “Easy. Right one.”

One of Dagur’s hands went lower, gently touched his left leg. “Pretty sure it’s this one.”

Hiccup looked down, his vision swirling. But still: “Oh. Oh yeah.” He wondered how he’d messed that up, but it felt like there was a buzzing all over his body, like it was steadily going numb. His head felt strange, and so he found himself closing his eyes.

“We should just go to sleep.”

“Mm. Sleep.” Hiccup wasn’t going to argue with him there, especially not when he was so warm and safe and comforted. He drifted off with his head resting against Dagur’s chest, and he slept soundly without dreams.

 

Hiccup felt strange in the morning. He couldn’t remember anything that had happened after Gothi had stitched up his wounds. _Had_ anything happened after that? Had he just passed out during it?

He woke in Dagur’s arms, which he was getting used to. Dagur was still sleeping, and he looked peaceful while doing so. A small snore came out of him and Hiccup smiled a little bit at it. Something about it seemed endearing for some reason. 

Though he liked Dagur sleeping, he hoped he would wake up soon. He didn’t want any of his friends, or even worse, his dad, finding them like this. He decided to just let him sleep though. They both needed rest. The only reason Hiccup wasn’t sleeping anymore was because his leg was bothering him.

He rolled onto his back, which had Dagur’s hand moving to rest on his stomach, luckily not where any of his wounds were. He was briefly reminded of how Viggo had run his hand over his stomach, and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself. This wasn’t Viggo. This was Dagur.

Toothless came up to him, rumbling out his good morning.

"Hey, bud." Hiccup held out his hand, stroked him on the head though it made his fingers twinge. He was wondering how long that was going to last. He gave Toothless a smile, but then found that he was looking past him, at Dagur. If a Night Fury could look skeptical, he certainly did. He'd worn the same expression the morning before upon finding them like this.

"It's okay, Toothless," Hiccup whispered. "He saved your life, remember?"

Toothless made a sound that Hiccup had learned to be his affirmative. 

"And he won't hurt me. He didn't do all this to me. That was somebody else." Hiccup figured that's where his issue with trusting Dagur lay. The last person he'd seen Hiccup with was Dagur, and then he'd returned to him hurt like this. He didn't know that someone else had done all this to him and that Dagur wasn't to blame. He wanted his dragon to trust Dagur. If he was going to be staying for a long while and be close to Hiccup like this, Hiccup wanted Toothless to be comfortable with it. "Dagur's a good guy now. I promise."

The hand on his stomach moved, going up to his chest, and Hiccup's heart went into his throat. 

"You say my name?" Dagur asked groggily. His voice made him relax again. Dagur. It was Dagur, not Viggo. Viggo was dead, and Dagur wouldn't do what he'd done.

Hiccup turned his head towards him. "I was just telling Toothless that he can trust you."

"Still doesn't trust me after I saved his life?" Dagur still had his eyes closed, and he moved his hand again, this time grasping lightly at Hiccup's waist. He was okay with that. 

"I'm pretty sure he thinks you had something to do with me being hurt. But he hasn't tried attacking you, so maybe not." Hiccup glanced at Toothless. "He's confused." 

"Ah, understandable. I'd be pretty confused about me if I were him." Dagur slowly opened his eyes. "So how did I get here?"

"You don't remember?"

"No. Gothi gave me a potion though. Think that might have done it."

"Same here." Now Hiccup was wondering if anything had happened between them while they'd been drugged. He touched his fingers to his lips as if he'd be able to tell if he'd been kissed that way. There was no way to tell really, not unless one of them remembered. Maybe it hadn't even happened.

"Thinking we kissed last night or something?" Dagur questioned.

"I don't know." Hiccup lowered his hand. "Maybe."

"You wouldn't be upset if we had, would you?"

"Maybe a little."

"Why? 'Cause it's me?"

"No. I would have liked to remember it is all." Hiccup rolled onto his side to face Dagur again. The man was looking rather baffled.

"Wait. You want to-? Me?" His voice was higher than usual.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, Dagur. I would, actually."

"So, like..." Dagur was looking awkward. His cheeks had heated a little. Hiccup felt that his face was doing the same thing. "Right now?"

"I mean, we could. Don't see why not."

"Okay, good point, good point."

"Unless you don't want to."

"No, of course I do!"

"Okay."

Then Dagur and Hiccup fell silent, just looking at each other. Hiccup wasn't sure which of them was going to move first. He heard Dagur inhale deeply, and then he was moving forward. Hiccup decided to meet him halfway. It was a gentle, hesitant touch at first, lips just grazing each other. Then they both became sure of it, and their lips molded together. Dagur's beard scratched at his face, but he was alright with the discomfort of it if it meant that he was kissing _Dagur_ and that their mouths were finally pressed together. The kiss said everything that they'd so far failed to say to each other. He felt Dagur through it, felt his emotions. He wondered if Dagur could feel his, if he was being as equally open with him through it. He wondered if he could feel his overwhelming amount of gratefulness. That's what Hiccup wanted him to feel. He wanted to prove to him that he was grateful.

Dagur's hand tightened on his waist and Hiccup found himself cupping his face, feeling the scars and his beard under his palm. He wondered how Dagur had gotten those scars on his face, if he'd ever tell him about it.

Then he felt a tongue teasing between his lips and he opened his mouth to Dagur, allowing him entrance. He was being gentle, far more gentle than Hiccup had ever thought him capable of. He explored his mouth carefully, and Hiccup sighed into him. There was just something that felt so good about this.

Dagur's tongue retreated, but Hiccup followed it, finding Dagur's mouth open to him as well. He was just as careful with him, though he was a bit unsure of what he was doing, having never made out with anyone before.

Though, after a time he found himself in need of air, so he pulled away, gasping. He opened his eyes to meet Dagur's, almost fearful of what he would see in them. The man was beaming, his eyes shining with happiness.

"Hiccup, that was-" Dagur didn't finish, just pressed his lips to his again, and Hiccup was perfectly happy with that.

 

Hiccup and Dagur didn't tell anyone about the nature of their relationship. They didn't need to. It was probably obvious anyway. They were almost always by each other. It had taken Toothless a few days, but now he seemed perfectly fine with the whole thing, now comfortable with Dagur being around Hiccup. Hiccup was grateful to him for that. He didn't want his best friend to disapprove of what was making him happy.

They never did anything but kiss though. One time Dagur had gotten a little handsy with him, but Hiccup had panicked and he'd promptly stopped touching him. He didn’t want to panic though, wanted to feel fine with it, so that night he’d decided he was going to push through the fear. It had been a few weeks since what had happened with Viggo, and they were both mostly healed from it. It wouldn’t be too much exertion for either of them.

Dagur looked at him oddly from where he was sitting beside him on the bed when he took off his tunic.

“Hiccup, what are you doing?” He looked towards the door, probably expecting Toothless to come in after him, but Hiccup had purposefully left him outside for the time being.

“Thanking you.” Hiccup moved forward, was going to kiss him, but Dagur pulled away.

“Hiccup, you don’t need to do this to thank me. I know I’ve made it obvious in the past how I wanted to have sex with you, and I still do, but that doesn’t mean you have to give yourself to me as a way of thanking me. I understand how grateful you are.”

“You don’t think I’m doing this for myself too?” Hiccup asked. He could feel his courage leaving him. He’d hoped Dagur wouldn’t talk to him, had hoped that he’d just let him do this. “I-I want this too, Dagur.”

“You don’t sound so sure.”

“I’m…” Hiccup turned his back to him. “I’m not. I’m scared, and I don’t want to be scared anymore. I had hoped you could help me with it, but-” he shrugged, reached for his tunic- “I guess not.”

Then Dagur was kneeling behind him, running his hands over his sides, lips seeking out his brand. It was a nice thing to have that kissed like it wasn’t the most atrocious thing in the world. It helped Hiccup cope with it being on his face, and he’d often kiss Dagur’s to return the favor.

“Hiccup, I’ll help you, alright? But don’t ever hesitate to tell me to stop. Doesn’t matter how into it I get. If you tell me to stop, I will.”

That was comforting to hear. Viggo hadn’t stopped when he’d told him to, but Dagur would. He’d have control in this situation. 

“Okay.”

“Now just lay on your back.” Dagur’s hands were on his shoulders, gentle. “I’ll make you feel good. I promise. I’ll make you feel way better than he did.”

Hiccup laid out on his back, liking the sound of that, and Dagur straddled him. Then his lips found his, one hand running up his abdomen. Hiccup suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was Viggo touching him again, and he was going to- Viggo hadn’t kissed him like this, hadn’t even tried to go for his lips because he’d known that he’d get bitten if he did. Dagur was kissing him passionately, heatedly. He felt himself calm, reach for him, run his hands over his back. Then Hiccup was reaching for the hem of his tunic, pulling it off of him, and they broke apart briefly so Dagur could finish the task of taking it off and throw it aside. 

“Hiccup, do you know where you’re sensitive?”

“My neck, I think,” Hiccup answered, tilting his head back for him, baring his throat. He wasn’t entirely sure about how sensitive he was there, but he was made sure as Dagur lowered his mouth to it. Hiccup let out a little moan as he covered his throat in open-mouthed kisses, reached one hand up to grab at his unruly hair. He felt Dagur smile against his neck before continuing with his attentions to it. This was okay. Viggo hadn’t done this.

Dagur moved down from his neck to his collarbone, where he bit at him slightly, probably only wanting to leave marks where they could be hidden by clothes. Hiccup found himself growing aroused, beginning to breathe heavily with it. He wasn’t frightened of his own arousal or frightened that Dagur would take advantage of it. He’d become aroused before during their makeout sessions and nothing had come of it, and he’d known that nothing would, but now there was excitement too. His desire would be fulfilled.

Dagur held onto his waist as he moved lower and lapped at one of his nipples. Hiccup gasped, flinched a little, and Dagur hurriedly lifted himself up.

“I’m sorry. Was that not okay?”

“It’s… okay,” Hiccup decided. “It’s just that Viggo touched me there. N-not with his mouth though. You’re good.”

Still looking at him, Dagur tested his nipple with his tongue, and it hardened into a little crest at his touch. 

“That okay?”

“Better than okay. Do that again.”

Dagur did, and Hiccup tilted his head back with a soft moan. “That’s good, Dagur,” he told him.

At his words, Dagur took his nipple into his mouth and sucked gently. Hiccup arched into him, clutching at his uninjured shoulder. He tried not to dig his nails in, but he did when teeth briefly grazed him. Pleasure was shooting straight down and into his cock, and he bucked his hips into him. There was something a little terrifying about feeling Dagur’s erection against his own, but he shoved it down. Dagur wasn’t going to hurt him. 

Dagur gave the other nipple the same attention before kissing his way down his stomach. Hiccup felt like he was burning with anticipation, thinking he knew what Dagur was going to do next.

“Is it okay if I take your pants off?”

“Yeah, but you take your pants off too.” Hiccup didn’t want to be less clothed than Dagur. It would make him feel vulnerable, maybe because Viggo had kept his clothes on while doing this.

_No, no, stop thinking about him. You have to stop thinking about him._ Hiccup didn’t want his first time with Dagur to be dominated by thoughts of Viggo. Viggo was dead and gone and couldn’t hurt him ever again. Dagur was here and now and giving him pleasure that he’d asked for.

“Deal.” 

Hiccup lifted his hips to let Dagur pull his pants off of him, feeling a bit of relief when his erection sprang free. Then Dagur was climbing off of him to remove his own pants, and Hiccup found himself looking at his cock. It was thick, could easily be labeled as big. He didn’t think he was as big as Viggo though. He couldn’t be sure. He’d only felt his.

_Stop it, Hiccup. You’re thinking about him again._

Dagur smirked at him when he noticed where his eyes were. “Admiring me?”

“Kind of.”

“Kind of?”

“I’m a little scared,” Hiccup admitted.

“You want to stop?” Dagur bent, reached for his recently discarded pants.

“No.” Hiccup frantically shook his head. “Please, I need to do this. I need to get rid of the memory of him.”

Dagur was on him again, nestling himself between his legs, and Hiccup spread them for him. “Alright. Just tell me to stop if you need me to.”

“I will.” Hiccup hoped he wouldn’t have to tell him to stop. He was enjoying this so far, knew he was about to enjoy it even more.

He tensed when Dagur took his cock in one hand, but then melted into him when he dragged his tongue up the length of it. Viggo most definitely hadn’t done that, and by the gods did it feel _good_. Dagur did it again and he moaned loudly. Then he was taking the head into his mouth, sucking ever so gently, and Hiccup’s eyes rolled back, his hands reaching down to grab at Dagur’s hair. He’d never had anyone do this to him before, and he was loving it.

Amazingly, Dagur took the entire thing into his mouth and throat, stroking at his thighs as he did it. The heat and the wetness felt utterly amazing, and then he was making a swallowing motion, his throat hugging him, and Hiccup cried out with it. All he’d ever felt here was his own hand, not someone who was clearly so very good at what they were doing with their mouth.

Dagur pulled off of him, began licking again, and Hiccup wrapped his legs around him, arching into him.

“Gods, Dagur, that feels good,” he breathed. He’d never thought he’d say something like that before, never thought that he’d have Dagur the Deranged between his legs like this. He’d thought that was something that would only happen in his nightmares. He’d had plenty of nightmares of Dagur raping him, but never any dreams of him pleasuring him so thoroughly like this, of him making sure that he gave him exactly what he wanted.

“Yeah?”

“ _Yes._ ”

“So you don’t need me to stop?”

“Gods, don’t stop. Please!”

Dagur chuckled. “Alright, Hiccup.” Then his mouth was back on him and Hiccup tightened his hold with his legs. 

Dagur acted as if he was worshipping his cock with his mouth, as if it was something to be revered, and maybe to him it was. It had always been obvious how much he’d wanted his body. He was getting it now.

Dagur pulled off of him, stroked him with his hand. His hand was so different from Viggo’s, the skin rougher, his fingers not as thick. It was a comfort to feel that difference, to know that he was with someone else, and willingly. 

“You have a _really_ nice dick, Hiccup.”

“Um, th-thank you?” His face heated red at the strange compliment, and he felt a little awkward, but then awkwardness left him as Dagur took him in one hand and began circling his palm over the head with the other. He let himself moan as loud as he wanted to, pleasure making him weak, his legs coming undone from around Dagur. Then he was leaning over him, running his tongue over his body. Hiccup’s toes curled as he arched up into the contact. 

“Th-think I’m gonna cum.”

“Is it alright if I make you cum?” Dagur asked the question so gently that it sounded odd.

“Yeah.” Hiccup didn’t even really have to think about it. He _wanted_ this.

Soon, his orgasm was being coaxed from him by Dagur’s undoubtedly practiced hands. Hiccup’s body rolled under him as pleasure burst inside his veins, moans leaving his mouth, muscles contracting and releasing. Then it was over and Dagur let go of him, leaving him in peace to ride out the waves of bliss that were washing over him. 

“Dagur, that was- that was so good,” he made sure to tell him. He knew they weren’t done yet though. There was another part to this that he wanted to do, something he _had_ to do if he wanted to erase the persistent memory of Viggo’s touch.

Dagur trailed one hand over his chest. “Are you done? Because if you are, that’s okay.”

Hiccup shook his head. “I wanna keep going.”

“You sure?”

Hiccup was getting fed up with all of Dagur’s questions, but at the same time he was glad he was asking, checking in on him and his well being. Viggo hadn’t done that. Viggo’s goal had been to use and interrogate and hurt. Dagur’s was to please and help. He nodded.

“Okay, so, um, do you happen to have any oil or anything? I don’t want to hurt you.”

Hiccup grew nervous at the mention of oil and what that would entail, but took a deep breath. He pointed. “Yeah. That bottle on my desk. Got it from Johann a few days ago. Told him it was for my inventions so the pieces wouldn’t get stuck together.”

“Clever, Hiccup,” Dagur commented in amusement. He stood to go retrieve it. Hiccup would have gotten it himself but he still needed crutches to get around. His stomach clenched with nerves when Dagur came back over with it, and there must have been some change on his face, because then Dagur said: “We don’t have to do this, you know.”

“No, we do,” Hiccup rebutted. “I do. I have to get rid of the feeling of him.”

“Hiccup, if that’s the only reason you’re doing this, it’s not a very good one.”

“No, I want you too,” Hiccup insisted. “Please. I do. I swear. I… I want you, Dagur.”

Dagur nodded a little in understanding, smiled. “Well in that case, spread those pretty legs for me.”

Hiccup did, and Dagur knelt between them. Hiccup had to clutch at the blanket to steady himself, and if Dagur noticed he didn’t say anything. He uncapped the bottle, stuck one finger in the oil to coat it. Then he was reaching between his legs, and Hiccup felt like he couldn’t breathe. Maybe if he just told him to stop…

He touched his rim, but didn’t instantly penetrate him. Instead he stroked his finger around, and it was an odd sensation, but a good one. 

“Remember. You have to relax.”

“I am relaxed.”

Dagur pointedly looked to how he was clutching at the blanket, but didn’t say anything. Hiccup kept his hands where they were, but took a deep breath, trying to release the rest of his muscles from their places of tension. Then the tip of Dagur’s finger slipped inside him and he gritted his teeth over a whimper. He could take this. He wanted to. This wasn’t Viggo.

Dagur steadily pushed his finger into him, and Hiccup expected it to hurt, but it didn’t, the oil relieving a lot of the friction. Once he had it in all the way down to the last joint, he pulled it out, stuck two fingers in the oil this time. Hiccup had to take deep breaths when he felt two fingers pressing at his hole. He closed his eyes.

“Hiccup, you sure about this?”

“Keep going.”

Dagur listened to him, inserting his fingers, and the stretch burned for an instant. Then he was pressing deeper and the burn disappeared, replaced with something that was close to pleasure, but not quite there yet. Hiccup wondered about that strange spot that Viggo had pressed on, if Dagur would find it too.

He did, quite suddenly, and Hiccup gasped as pleasure shot up through his spine, into his cock and his stomach. 

“Right there, Dagur,” he panted out. Better to let him know that he had hit something good instead of having him think it was bad and pulling his fingers back. He didn’t want him to do that.

“Here?” He pressed lightly on that spot and Hiccup bucked into him with a small cry. The pleasure was so deep, right in his core. That was all the confirmation Dagur needed about having found the right spot. He rubbed at it, curling his fingers inside him in a “come here” motion. Hiccup’s cock was hardening again, precum leaking from his slit. This was good. This was pleasure he wanted, being given to him by someone he wanted.

After a while, Dagur pulled his fingers away and Hiccup whined, reaching out for him with his hips.

“Hiccup, it’s alright. I just want to stretch you with three fingers to make absolutely sure I don’t hurt you.”

“That’s o-okay, then.” Hiccup didn’t want to be hurt by this. He wanted to enjoy it.

Dagur’s hand was back, and Hiccup grunted as three fingers entered him. Dagur put a hand on his thigh.

“Sorry. Did that hurt?”

“A little.” Hiccup focused on the way he felt around him, willing his muscles to relax and let him all the way in. “It’s okay. Keep going.”

Dagur looked hesitant, but he did as he said. Hiccup let out a little whimpering noise at the strange mix of pain and pleasure he was feeling, at the fear going through him that he was trying so hard to destroy. He put a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. To Hiccup’s disappointment, Dagur withdrew his fingers, and a whine crawled up his throat.

“Look, Hiccup, I’m not really sure about this.”

“ _You’re_ not sure about this?” Hiccup asked in astonishment, removing his hand. “Come on, Dagur. You’ve wanted me like this for three years now!”

“I’m just not sure about the reasons you’re doing this,” Dagur said. “You still seem scared, and the last thing I want to do is scare you.”

“So it’s not because you don’t want me?” Hiccup sat up, a little oil leaking out of his hole with the motion.

“No, Hiccup. I want you. I want you really badly.”

“Then take me, Dagur. Come on. Please. I-I need this. I need this to get rid of him. I want to only remember you inside of me, not him.” Hiccup crawled forward, planning on showing his dedication to this, on showing Dagur that it was okay. He dipped his fingers in the oil, gripped Dagur’s cock, began to stroke him.

Dagur moved to a sitting position, tipped his head back and groaned. It was a nice sound to hear when it was from pleasure and not pain.

“ _Hiccup._ ” He breathed his name in awe. Of course it was in awe. He’d probably imagined something like this happening many times, and now it really was. One hand grabbed at the back of his neck, the other fisting in the blanket.

“I want this, Dagur. I swear.” He reached for more oil, pumped Dagur faster on his return, and his mouth fell open. His arousal, which had begun to die, was rekindling at seeing him like this, and by his own hand no less. “And yeah, I’m kind of scared, but I need you to help me with this. Please.”

“I’ll help you,” Dagur agreed. “J-just a little more of this, please.”

“No problem there.” Hiccup rubbed his thumb beneath the tip, where he knew he himself was sensitive, and that must have been something universal, because then Dagur was moaning and bucking into him. Never in his life had he thought he’d want to hear and see him like this, yet here he was. He leaned his head in, kissed gently at the raised flesh of his brand. He ran his other hand over him in exploration of his body. He’d never touched Dagur like this before, and he wanted to grow familiar with him, wanted to know all the dips and contours of his muscles, muscles that had used to scare him just because of how big they were and how powerful they made him, but that he was now finding himself attracted to. He felt good doing this, having power over Dagur like this with his hand around the most sensitive part of him, and Dagur trusted him with it, trusted that he wasn’t going to hurt him. Hiccup almost wanted to stay in power like this, almost wanted to turn around what they would be doing and take Dagur instead, but if he did that then his fear would remain, and he’d still be tainted with Viggo. Hopefully they’d be able to take turns dominating each other after this first time. Hiccup knew he really wasn’t the submissive type, though he highly doubted Dagur was either.

“You like what you’re touching?”

“Yeah,” Hiccup admitted. “A lot in fact.”

“Good to hear. You’re not so bad with your hands,” Dagur complimented. “I mean, of course you’d be good with them. You - _ah…_ \- invent things and all that.”

“You like my hands?” Hiccup hadn’t known that that part of him was attractive. He didn’t think much about his hands. They were useful to have, that was for sure.

“ _Love_ them. Your fingers are so perfect. Nice and long and- oh gods, can I have you now, please?”

“Yes.” Hiccup’s fear came tumbling back, but he decided to not let it rule him. He wanted this and so did Dagur. It was going to happen whether that fearful side of him liked it or not.

“How do you wanna do this? It’s all up to you, Hiccup.”

Hiccup moved away, laid on his back again. He wanted to be able to see Dagur, so that he’d be able to show that terrified part of himself who this was. Dagur came forward, gripped at one leg and lifted it, and so Hiccup took that as a cue to lift the other. Anxiety burned in his stomach at how vulnerable he was, at how Dagur was grabbing his cock to position it. He tensed when he felt the head pressing against his hole.

“Hiccup, babe, you have to relax. I don’t plan on hurting you.”

“I-I know.” He felt panic surging up, but he shoved it back down. He needed to do this. “Just do it, Dagur.”

He pushed the head into him and he bit his bottom lip. He tried staying relaxed and loose, but he was breathing heavily through his nose, chest heaving. Viggo was going to- No. Viggo didn’t have green eyes, hadn’t stared at him with such endearing passion and concern. There was a question in Dagur’s eyes, and Hiccup nodded, wanting him to continue.

Dagur did, and Hiccup released a moan as he steadily entered him. It didn’t hurt like it had with Viggo, felt good instead, and then he was fully sheathed in him, pressing on that wonderful spot. Dagur breathed his name.

“Hiccup, you okay with this?” He was hooking his arms under his legs, leaning over him to grasp at his hips.

“Yes.” He said it firmly, wanting Dagur to fully realize that he had his consent, that this was fine. There was still some part of him that was scared, some part of him that didn’t necessarily like the feeling of Dagur inside of him, but it was overridden by the part of him that wanted this and loved how he felt inside him.

“I’ll go slow for now, okay?”

Hiccup nodded, and Dagur kissed him on the forehead before he began moving his hips. Hiccup grabbed at his shoulders, though he was careful of his right one. His stitches had been taken out, but he didn’t want to somehow hurt him. 

This was good. Viggo hadn’t gone slow with him, hadn’t eased him into it. He’d just pounded away at him and that was that. Viggo had burned in him, but it felt like Dagur was stroking at his insides, and every time he’d gently push back in he’d brush against that wonderful spot that was sending pleasure trickling into his cock and his stomach, all the way down into his toes and up into his fingers. He hadn’t realized that he could feel so good from something like this, hadn’t realized that there was a spot inside of him that could give him such unrivaled pleasure. He wondered if it was possible to climax just from that without even having his cock touched. 

“This feel good for you, Hiccup?”

“So good.” 

“Can I go harder?”

“Yes, Dagur. _Please._ ”

Dagur sped up his movements, and Hiccup gave a cry, tilted his head back. Dagur took the opportunity to kiss at his neck, groaning against his skin. Then he began sucking, apparently no longer caring about leaving visible marks. Hiccup didn’t care either. So what if people knew he’d been with Dagur?

Now having his permission, Dagur went at him with an almost furious passion, fulfilling the lust he’d felt for him for so long now. Hiccup could feel his want through it, could feel how deep it ran and how completely satisfied he was with finally doing this. And he felt something else, felt that other thing that they’d never said to each other, but that they both surely felt. That thing was what had gotten Dagur branded and tortured, but it wasn’t a bad thing. It was also the same thing that had Dagur hold him gently every night, that had him listening intently to whatever he had to say, had him kiss him carefully or with passion, had him now doing this with him. At first it had amazed Hiccup that Dagur had the capacity for that, but it made sense now. He’d never felt it so strongly from him before.

Hiccup wanted to show that he felt it back. He grabbed at Dagur’s face, lifted it from his neck, pulling his lips down towards his own. They kissed hard, intertwining tongues, and then they’d pull away to share their breaths and moans between them before coming together again. Hiccup hoped that he was conveying his message correctly, that he was kissing Dagur back with the same passion he was giving him. He wanted him to know what he felt without words.

_Or maybe I could just say it._

“Dagur-” He was cut off as Dagur’s mouth found its way back to his, and Dagur kissed him in a way that said he understood what he’d been about to say, that he knew, and that was all the confirmation Hiccup needed. 

Dagur knew. Hiccup knew. It was unspoken, but far from unknown.


End file.
